Animal Health Strategy

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding the Government incorporates into its animal health strategy for the rescue and care of abandoned, wounded and homeless animals.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 July 2006
	While the Government applauds the fine work undertaken by animal welfare charities in rescuing and caring for abandoned, wounded and homeless animals, it does not use public money to directly fund such work. However, we do have policies in place to increase the value of charitable gifts by generous tax concessions.

Arhus Convention

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to inform the public of their rights under the Arhus Convention.

Ian Pearson: The Government recognises that the Aarhus Convention is an important statement, at international level, of the rights of the public to be involved in decisions which have significant environmental effects. The UK's ratification of the convention, in February 2005, demonstrates our commitment to the importance of these principles. A comprehensive guide can be found on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/internat/aarhus/index.htm
	In addition, DEFRA's environmental information unit (EIU) provides advice on the convention and the Environmental Information Regulations. The EIU has produced leaflets and posters publicising peoples' rights to access environmental information and provides detailed guidance on the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/opengov/eir/index. htm This also links to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs), the code of practice and the Aarhus Convention.
	The code of practice, (which was laid in Parliament in February 2005) and guidance have been revised to take responses to a public consultation into account.
	Additionally, the unit offers support to Government Departments and public authorities on EIRs. This support includes workshops to discuss how they can raise awareness within their authorities and provides an opportunity to share good practice. In 2003-04, the Government's sustainable development unit worked with the Department for Constitutional Affairs supporting the freedom of information (FOI) road shows programme and gave talks to public authorities around the country explaining how to handle FOI and EIR requests.

Biomass Energy Crops

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to remove barriers to the market development of biomass energy crops; and what further measures are planned.

Ian Pearson: The Government provide support to help establish, develop supply chains, and create markets for biomass energy crops. The Government set up a Biomass Task Force in 2004 to identify the barriers to developing biomass energy and to recommend ways to overcome the problems.
	The Government's response to the taskforce report was published in April 2006 and sets out 12 key initiatives and over 60 associated actions to help realise optimum use of biomass as a resource. These measures include a capital grant scheme for biomass boilers, the establishment of a new Biomass Energy Centre to provide expert information and advice, further grant support for biomass supply chains, and a commitment to consider using biomass in the Government estate. We also intend to publish a UK Biomass Strategy in the coming year.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received regarding the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department had received a range of representations on the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, in the form of letters, emails and parliamentary questions.

Commercial Kitchens

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research his Department has conducted into  (a) carbon emissions from commercial kitchens and  (b) means to reduce such emissions;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to encourage the use of technology to reduce carbon emissions from commercial kitchens.

Ian Pearson: The information available on carbon emissions from commercial kitchens is currently very limited.
	Two scoping studies have been carried out for Defra which indicate that carbon emissions from non-domestic cooking equipment are somewhere between 2.2 million and 6 million tonnes of carbon per annum. Further work is being carried out by the Government's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) to refine these estimates. The MTP estimates that the refrigeration equipment used in commercial kitchens produces a further1.4 million tonnes of carbon per annum.
	The Government are working with industry, through the Carbon Trust and the MTP, to reduce these emissions. For example, the Hotel and Catering International Management Association manages a programme on behalf of the Carbon Trust which offers free energy saving advice to the sector.
	We are also working to encourage manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their goods by developing agreed test methodologies, performance standards and benchmarks which will enable the relative energy efficiency of these appliances to be measured. This process is complete for commercial refrigeration equipment but is at an early stage for commercial ovens.
	If all existing catering equipment were replaced by best practice(1 )equipment, we estimate that carbon emissions from commercial kitchens could be reduced by 18 per cent. Substantial additional carbon savings can be made through management and behavioural measures.
	(1) The top 10 per cent. of equipment, currently on the market, in terms of energy efficiency.

Departmental Publications

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the Unnumbered Command Papers produced by his Department in each Session since 1976; by what means  (a) hon. Members and  (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Documents which are laid before Parliament as unnumbered Command Papers are generally restricted to explanatory notes to treaties, explanatory memorandum to statutory instruments and some Treasury minutes. All other documents are published in the Numbered Command Papers series.
	A complete list of unnumbered Command Papers can only be produced at disproportionate cost.
	Copies of all unnumbered Command Papers are made available via the Vote Office.

Environmental Directives

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which environmental directives have been agreed and published sinceMay 1997; and what the date or expected date of transposition is of each.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA was formed in June 2001. Between 8 June 2001 and 30 June 2006, 30 EU environmental directives, for which the Department has responsibility for implementation, were adopted. These are shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Directive number  Directive name  Transposition deadline  Date UK transposition completed/or expected to be completed 
			 2001/080/EC Limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants 27 November 2002 9 September 2003 
			 2001/081/EC National emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants 1 March 2002 13 March 2003 
			 2001/091/EC Restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (hexachloroethane) 31 December 2002 30 June 2003 
			 2002/003/EC Relating to ozone in ambient air 9 September 2003 26 February 2004 
			 2002/031/EC Energy labelling of household air conditioners 1 January 2003 14 March 2003 
			 2002/040/EC Commission Directive 2002/040/EC implementing Council Directive 92/75/EEC with regard to energy labelling of household electric ovens 31 December 2002 14 March 2003 
			 2002/045/EC Relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (short-chain chlorinated paraffins) 6 July 2003 23 December 2003 
			 2002/049/EC Assessment and management of environmental noise 18 July 2004 October 2006 
			 2002/062/EC Adapting to technical progress for the ninth time Annex I to Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States on marketing and use of (organostannic compounds) 31 October 2002 14 March 2003 
			 2003/002/EC Relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of arsenic 30 June 2003 23 December 2003 
			 2003/004/EC On public access to environmental information and repealing 90/31 3/EEC 14 February 2005 04 January 2006 
			 2003/011/EC Relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (pentabromodiphenyl ether octabromodiphenyl ether) 15 February 2004 22 March 2004 
			 2003/035/EC Providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment 25 June 2005 October 2007 
			 2003/066/EC Energy labelling of household electric refrigerators, freezers and their combinations 30 June 2004 1 July 2004 
			 2003/087/EC Establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community 31 December 2003 23 December 2004 
			 2004/008/EC On the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market 21 February 2006 September 2006 
			 2004/012/EC Packaging and packaging waste 18 August 2005 September 2006 
			 2004/035/EC Environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage 30 April 2007 April 2007 
			 2004/042/EC Limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products 30 October 2005 25 October 2005 
			 2004/098/EC Restrictions on the marketing and use of pentabromodiphenyl ether in aircraft emergency evacuation system 1 January 2005 22 December 2004 
			 2004/101/EC A scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community 13 November 2005 September 2006 
			 2004/107/EC Relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air 15 February 2007 February 2007 
			 2005/032/EC Establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for energy using products 11 August 2007 August 2007 
			 2005/033/EC The sulphur content of marine fuels 11 August 2006 August 2006 
			 2005/059/EC Restrictions on marketing and use of certain dangerous substances (Toluene and Trichlorobenzene) 15 December 2006 December 2006 
			 2005/069/EC Marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations 29 December 2006 December 2006 
			 2006/007/EC Bathing water quality 24 March 2008 March 2008 
			 2006/011/EC Pollution caused by dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the community (codified version) n/a n/a 
			 2006/012/EC Waste (codified version) n/a n/a 
			 2006/032/EC Energy end-use efficiency and energy services 17 May 2008 May 2008 
		
	
	I am placing in the Library of the House a list which itemises the directives adopted together with:
	 (a) the EU deadline for transposition into domestic legislation.
	 (b) where, appropriate, the final or expected United Kingdom transposition date.
	Details of all Directives in force can be found on the Eur-Lex database available on the European Union's website at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex.

Environmental Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department  (a) is committed to the achievement of environmental management to ISO 14001 standard and  (b) has been externally certified as in compliance with that standard; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA is firmly committed to the achievement of environmental management systems ISO 14001 standard in its buildings. A programme of independent accreditation to that standard is under way. The priority is for our larger sites to achieve accreditation and at the end of June, a total of 27 sites (offices and laboratories), covering 78 per cent. of staff in the Department and its Executive Agencies, were accredited to ISO 14001. Three further sites covering eight per cent. of staff in the Department have Environmental Management Systems in place, which are yet to be independently certified to the standard.
	DEFRA has submitted data relevant to this question (including external certification) for annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports. The last Report published by the Sustainable Development Commission in December 2005, covering the reporting period April 2004 to March 2005, is available at: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/watchdog.

Farm Subsidies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006 to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten),  Official Report, column 24W, on farm subsidies, whether the former Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency remains on paid leave of absence; when a decision on his future will be made; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: As a priority, Defra appointed an interim Chief Executive of the RPA to lead the organisation through the next period, and work has already begun to strengthen the senior management team. The former CEO of the RPA is currently on paid leave and we are in the process of resolving his employment issues through the proper legal procedures in line with the Departments HR good practice.

Fisheries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1729-30W, what report his Department has made to the European Commission on by-catch monitoring under the obligations of Council Regulation (EC) 812/2004.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK Government's report to the European Commission, on by-catch monitoring, is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra. gov.uk/fish/sea/conserve/regulation.htm.

Flood and Coastal Defences

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's expenditure has been on flood defences in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency (EA) are the principal operating authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England. Defra has provided £141 million to the EA in grant in aid in 2006-07 up to the end of July. This supports capital improvement projects, maintenance and operation of existing infrastructure, and associated activities such as flood warning, public awareness of flood risk and advising planning authorities with respect to development in areas at risk of flooding.
	Local authority expenditure on flood risk management other than capital projects is supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government Revenue Support Grant mechanism.
	Capital projects to manage coastal erosion risk often also provide significant benefit in terms of reducing risk of flooding from the sea but expenditure on these is routed directly to local authorities by Defra, and is not included in EA grant in aid. It would not be possible to identify the proportion resulting in flood risk benefit without incurring disproportionate cost.

Flood and Coastal Defences

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the flood defence systems in Robertsbridge, East Sussex; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency's current assessment of the Robertsbridge flood defence systems are that they are in very good condition and able to function in accordance with the design.
	However, modifications, which will improve the Agency's response time during a flood incident, are to be made to the road crossing defences this summer in time for the start of the flood season.

Greyhound Racing Industry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reconsider the decision not to include proposals for statutory provision for greyhound racing in the Animal Welfare Bill.

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to promote the welfare of retired greyhounds.

Ben Bradshaw: The Animal Welfare Bill, currently before Parliament, will introduce an offence of failing to provide for the welfare needs of an animal. This will apply to owners and keepers of all animals, including racing, and retired greyhounds. In addition, we are considering making specific regulations under the Animal Welfare Bill in relation to the welfare of racing greyhounds. We consider that these regulations are better contained in secondary legislation rather than on the face of the Bill.

ISO 14001

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commit the Government to compliance with the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard.

Ian Pearson: On 12 June the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (David Miliband) announced new sustainable operations targets for the Government estate. Environmental management systems (EMS) are a key enabler in supporting improvements in operational performance on the estate, particularly in areas such as energy, water and waste. Therefore, the new targets included a commitment that all Government Departments should have an EMS in place, based, or modelled upon, a recognised system (such as ISO 14001, or the European regulation EMAS).
	Departmental performance against EMS estate targets has been published in annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports. The last report published by the Sustainable Development Commission, the independent watchdog, was in December 2005. It covered the reporting period April 2004 to March 2005 and is available at: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/watchdog

Landscape Management

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned into (i) the capability of farmers to continue to manage the landscape and (ii) possible further changes to the Single Farm Payment to encourage this.

Barry Gardiner: The Government are committed to conserving and enhancing the countryside and biodiversity and recognise the key role played by farmers and other land managers. The introduction of Environmental Stewardship (ES) in 2005 was recognition of the benefits that can be delivered by farming and provides funding to farmers ad other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on their land. Together with the introduction of cross-compliance conditions under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), this will ensure that the English landscape continues to be protected and enhanced. It will also encourage the retention, if not expansion, of countryside management skills.
	Past research has considered implications of CAP Reform on land management, including the take-up of agri-environment schemes. A new research programme was set up last year to monitor the impacts of the introduction of the SPS on farm level change and the environment under the Agricultural Change and Environment Observatory Programme, details of which are at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/observatory/index.htm. The results of that programme will help inform the UK negotiating position in future EU discussions on both the SPS rules and wider CAP reform.
	Environmental Stewardship has also an evaluation strategy, available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/pdfs/es/ES-EvaluationPlan-Feb06.pdf, and is supported by research and monitoring programmes. The projects under these ES programmes tend to focus on issues such as 'effectiveness', 'efficiency' and 'improvements' relating to the management options of the scheme. The 'capability of farmers' is not investigated independently but is a factor that can influence the outputs of these projects.

Nanotechnology Products

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish details of the Government's timetable for the introduction of mandatory regulations for nanotechnology products; and whether they will apply retrospectively for those products already on the market in the UK.

Ian Pearson: From a review the Department has undertaken and has published on the DEFRA website, I am assured that much of our current legislation addresses risks from materials regardless of their size. DEFRA has responsibility for the possible environmental risks from nanomaterials. If there are environmental risks which need controlling, irrespective of whether the cause of the risk is already marketed or not, they will be appropriately controlled and emergency powers are available if needed.
	I am aware that very small materials may pose new risks and it is with that in mind that the UK are moving towards a framework of appropriate control. We are therefore currently gathering evidence to see if these types of products represent a hazard or risk to the environment that would require additional control. Our evidence-gathering phase, working across the UK Government, are scheduled to cover the next two years, at which point it is intended that there will be a fundamental review of the need for control. Given this, there are no plans for the mandatory regulation of nanotechnology products and hence no plans for publication.
	DEFRA recently consulted on this approach. The consultation period ended on 23 June but information is still available on the DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/nanotech-vrs/index.htm

Natural England

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any of the current functions of  (a) English Nature and  (b) the Countryside Agency will be discarded in the transfer of responsibilities to Natural England.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 July 2006
	None of the current functions of English Nature or the Countryside Agency will be discarded in the transfer of responsibilities to Natural England, although some of the Countryside Agency's responsibilities will transfer to the Commission for Rural Communities rather than to Natural England. We took the opportunity in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act to consolidate and simplify the way in which the roles of these bodies have been described in legislation since the 1940's. However the statutory purpose of Natural England is deliberately drawn widely to encompass everything which the predecessor bodies were able to do. It will, of course, be a matter for the Board of Natural England, in consultation with Ministers, to decide how to distribute its resources between its various functions.

Natural England

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in amalgamating English Nature and the Countryside Agency to form Natural England.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 July 2006
	Significant progress has been made towards establishing Natural England. For over a year, the constituent bodies that are to form the new agency have been operating as a confederation of partners working together under a common overarching vision and purpose. In May this year we established Natural England as a "skeleton body", with Chair, members and senior officers, to undertake preparatory work. In June, this skeleton body published a document setting out its "Strategic Direction". Work is well underway on the remaining arrangements for Natural England to take on its full statutory functions on 1 October.

Onshore Windfarms

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the levels of carbon emissions relating to onshore windfarms.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	Once a windfarm has been commissioned it produce no carbon emission.
	Of the carbon used in the development of a windfarm, the Sustainable Development Commission's report published November 2005 makes clear that "the energy pay back for a windfarm is 3-10 months."
	A copy of the full report can be downloaded from their website. http://www.sd-commission.org.uk

Orang-utans

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to prevent the habitat of the orang-utan being destroyed in  (a) Malaysia,  (b) Indonesia and  (c) other countries by the increased use of palm oil.

Barry Gardiner: The Government are very conscious that increasing consumption of goods and services in the UK can have environmental and social consequences overseas. Defra is commissioning research on the environmental impacts of internationally sourced commodity production, and palm oil is one of the commodities being investigated. The results of the research will inform future policy development in the UK and abroad.
	We are also working hard in a number of areas to tackle the important issue of natural habitat loss that might affect the orang-utan.
	For example, the UK Government have been the major financial supporter of the Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) run by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). More information is available at: http://www.unep.org/grasp.
	In October 2005, EU Agriculture Ministers finalised new legislation on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) that will allow the EU to enter into agreements with developing countries to provide them with assistance to tackle illegal logging.
	The Government are also seeking to address concerns regarding the use of palm oil for transport bio-fuel production. We are proposing to develop a carbon and sustainability assurance scheme to ensure that the best transport bio-fuels are used in the UK. The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership is looking to define the principal environmental criteria required to protect sensitive eco-systems and will prepare a draft environmental standard to apply to all fuels, including imports.

Organic Food

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the percentage of organic food sold in the UK which was produced in the UK; what powers the UK has to check the authenticity of organic food imported from abroad; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: It is estimated that overall the percentage of organic food sold in the UK which was produced in the UK increased from 30 per cent. in 2002, to 44 per cent. in 2005. For food which can be produced in the UK the estimate for 2005 is 62 per cent. The Soil Association (1)estimate that in 2005, 66 per cent. of the organic primary produce sold by multiple retailers was sourced in the UK
	Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 requires organic food imported from outside the EU to be produced to EU standards for organic production. The European Commission has recognised certain third countries as having equivalent systems of production and control. Otherwise decisions on equivalence are taken by the member states in response to requests from individual importers for the authorisations required for importing organic produce from third countries not recognised by the European Commission for this purpose.
	( 1 ) Source :
	Organic Market Report 2006—published by the Soil Association—data collected by Soil Association from Tesco, Sainsburys and the Co-op.

School Recycling

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recycling targets his Department has set for schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated for school recycling projects in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with schools on (a) increasing the provision of recycling facilities and  (b) promoting recycling awareness in schools.

Ben Bradshaw: No recycling targets have been specifically set by the Government for schools. However, Defra does provide financial support for the operation of Eco-Schools, an international programme developed by the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) and managed in England by Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS). Eco-Schools promotes environmental awareness around nine main themes, one of which is waste minimisation and recycling.
	Eco-Schools involve the whole school (pupils, teachers, non-teaching employees and governors) together with members of the local community (parents, the local authority, the media and local businesses). The scheme enables schools to enter for an internationally recognised award, the highest level of which is the Green Flag, with intermediary awards of bronze and silver. Over 3,000 schools are currently registered, including 500 schools that have achieved Green Flag status.
	Defra will be providing £40,000 of funding for Eco-Schools in 2006-07. £100,000 is also provided from non-grant sources, mainly from other sponsorship.
	In addition, from April 2006 the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will be carrying out work with schools, including continuation of the Cycler assemblies, as part of their waste awareness programme. Many local authorities are involved with waste education work, both independently and with WRAP. The Environment Action Fund also funds some projects that work with young people on issues around sustainable consumption.

Six-day Movement Rule

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he made the last assessment of the Six Day Movement rule; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 July 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 February 2006,  Official Report, column 525W.
	I subsequently announced, on 7 February 2006, an independent review of the livestock movements rules. When announcing the review I made it clear that the length of the movement standstills applicable to any species was out of scope. I expect to receive the report shortly.

Slow Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote slow food.

Barry Gardiner: Under DEFRA's regional food strategy we have, since 2003, been providing an additional one million per year to support the quality regional food sector in England. Food from Britain (FFB) take the lead in the delivery of a national programme of activity that supports producers in the sector. In taking forward this programme of activities, which focuses on trade development, consumer awareness and business competitiveness, FFB work together with a range of organisations, including Slow Food UK.
	A good example of this is ensuring a strong British presence at Slow Food's biennial Salone del Gusto food show held in Turin. Both organisations have worked well together for the last two shows in recruiting quality regional food producers for the event and in providing the necessary logistical support at the show. This close cooperation is continuing this year in preparation for the 2006 Salone del Gusto taking place in October.

Water

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work has been carried out to establish the background levels of fluoxetine in the aquatic environment; and what estimate he has made of the amount of residues from  (a) anti-depressant and  (b) other drugs in the (i) livers, (ii) brains and (iii) muscle of fish.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency has developed analytical methods for the detection of fluoxetine to levels of 0.002 microgrammes per litre (g/l) and norfluoxetine to 0.005 g/l. Monitoring was undertaken during 2005 downstream of a number of sewage works across England and Wales and fluoxetine (including norfluoxetine) was detected in 90 per cent. of the 39 samples. The average concentration detected was 0.017 g/l. An Environment Agency briefing on fluoxetine is available at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/fluoextine_1068996.pdf
	As a follow-up to studies commissioned by the Environment Agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) has investigated the presence of pharmaceutical products, including the antidepressant Lofepramine, in the liver and muscles of a small number of pike in the Grand Union Canal. Pike are predatory fish and thus exhibit the highest levels of any residues likely to enter the food chain. Lofepramine was not detected in any of the samples.

Water

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) levels of pre-tax profits and  (b) increases in water charges imposed by water companies.

Ian Pearson: Water companies made profits of£2.1 billion in 2004-05. The Government recognises that companies have to pay a return on their capital. However, water companies can only increase their profits by becoming more efficient and delivering all their services at less cost. These savings are also passed to customers in lower bills when the next price limits are set.
	Average water and sewerage bills for household customers in England and Wales increased by 5.5 per cent. (including inflation) in April 2006. Customers' bills rose by an average of £15, from £279 to £294. The increases are in line with the price limits set by The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) for 2005-10 and will contribute towards a total capital investment programme of £16.8 billion for environmental and service improvements.

A13

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for improving the A13; what improvements were made to the A13 between Basildon and Southend-on-Sea during 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The A13 is the responsibility of the Secretary of State only between its junctions with the A1306 and A1089. We have no plans at present for improvements to this section of road. The remainder of the A13 is the responsibility of Southend on Sea borough council and Essex county council. Improvements to these sections of the road are therefore matters for these authorities. In his announcement of 6 July about Regional Funding Allocations, the Secretary of State approved entry into the programme of a scheme promoted by Essex county council for the improvement of the junction of A13 with A130 at Sadler's Farm.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with residents in East Sussex regarding the proposed A21 upgrade.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency has had discussions with residents in East Sussex, regarding the proposed A21 upgrade, as part of public consultation undertaken from November 2002 onwards.
	Discussions will continue with individuals, representative and statutory bodies on the issues raised by the proposals.

Accident Statistics

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) fatal and  (b) non-fatal traffic accidents there were in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Accident Statistics

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been  (a) killed and  (b) injured by vehicles in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of pedestrians killed in personal injury road accidents reported to the police for the years up to 2004 is published in Table 2 of Road Casualties Great Britain: 2004. Pedestrian fatalities for 2005 are published in Table 1 of Road Casualties Great Britain: Main Results: 2005.
	The number of pedestrian injured in personal injury road accidents reported to the police over the last10 years up to 2004 can be obtained from the in Table 5c of Road Casualties Great Britain: 2004 and Road Casualties Great Britain: 2002. The number of pedestrians injured in 2005 can be obtained from Table 1 of Road Casualties Great Britain: Main Results: 2005.
	Copies of these publications are in the Libraries of the House.

Accident Statistics

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents occurred on or near pedestrian crossings in each year since 1997; and how many of these accidents involved the  (a) death and  (b) injury of pedestrians.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accident reported to the police that occurred on or within 50 m of a pedestrian crossing facility, and those that involved a pedestrian death or injury are given in the table.
	
		
			  Accidents on or within 50 m of a pedestrian crossing facility: 1997-2005 
			   All accidents  Accidents involving pedestrian death  Accidents involving pedestrian injury 
			 1997 34,881 247 10,889 
			 1998 35,679 229 11,007 
			 1999 35,455 225 10,706 
			 2000 34,835 213 10,433 
			 2001 33,979 195 10,188 
			 2002 33,999 206 9,948 
			 2003 33,018 232 9,582 
			 2004 30,824 181 9,171 
			 2005 29,610 183 8,844

Accident Statistics

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many traffic accidents there were involving  (a) pedestrians,  (b) buses,  (c) trams and  (d) cyclists in London in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of personal injury accidents reported to the police involving  (a) pedestrian casualties,  (b) buses,  (c) trams and  (d) cyclists in London in each year since 1997 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Personal injury accidents by vehicle type: London: 1997-2005 
			  Number of accidents 
			   With pedestrian casualties  Involving a bus or coach  Involving a tram( 1)  Involving pedal cycles 
			 1997 8,919 2,776 — 4,482 
			 1998 8,778 2,957 — 4,359 
			 1999 8,748 3,083 2 4,251 
			 2000 8,351 3,188 9 3,586 
			 2001 7,903 3,153 3 3,379 
			 2002 7,238 2,862 6 3,104 
			 2003 6,905 3,098 9 3,129 
			 2004 6,206 2,939 10 3,021 
			 2005 5,852 2,658 6 2,979 
			 (1) Data for accidents involving trams is only available from 1999 onwards Source:Transport for London

Accident Statistics

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many sleep-related traffic accidents occurred on motorways in each of the past three years; how many  (a) deaths and  (b) serious injuries were incurred; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of such accidents.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer to my answers to thehon. Member for South Swindon (Anne Snelgrove) of 28 November 2005,  Official Report, column 153W and to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 740W.

Cargo Transfers

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Answer of 27 June 2006,  Official Report, column 258W, on cargo transfers, what guidance his Department has issued to harbour authorities on applying for  (a) Harbour Revision Orders and  (b) other orders under the Harbours Act 1964; and whether such guidance applies only in England and Wales.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has published advice on the procedures for obtaining Harbour Orders on the Department's website at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_shipping/documents/page/dft_shipping_611467.hcsp.
	The guidance applies only to England and Wales.

Crossrail

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has undertaken on the likely impact of Crossrail on the Heathrow Express.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 18 July 2006
	The report of the Crossrail Timetable Working Group, published on 22 June 2006, considers the impact of Crossrail services on existing rail services and future services allowing for growth, including Heathrow Express. A copy of the report can be found on my Department's website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611918.pdf

Delegated Examiners

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many actual supervised (check) driving tests the Driving Standards Agency undertook on passenger carrying vehicle delegated examiners in each the last three financial years; and how many tests were cancelled in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: 78 supervisory tests were conducted during the period 2005-06. No data about supervisory tests was collected before that time.
	No supervisory tests have been cancelled.

Driver Numbers

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of drivers aged  (a) 18 to 21 and  (b) over 60 years in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990 and (iii) 2005 expressed (A) as a number and (B) as a proportion of the driving population.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table gives the number of people aged 18 to 21 and over 60 who hold a full driving licence and the proportion of the total number of licence holders in these age groups in 1985-86, 1989-91 and 2004, based on data from the National Travel Survey.
	No survey was undertaken in 1980. Only aggregated information is available for 1989-91. Figures for 2005 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Number of full driving licence holders and proportion of total licence holders aged 18 to 21 years and over 60 years 
			   1985-86  1989-91  2004 
			  Estimated number of licence holders (million)
			 18-21 1.6 1.9 1.1 
			 Over 60 4.1 4.9 7.0 
			 
			  Percentage of total number of licence holders
			 18-21 7 7 3 
			 Over 60 77 18 22

Driving Standards Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) consultants and  (b) contractors have been employed by the Driving Standards Agency in each of the last three financial years; what type of work each carried out; and how much was spent on each in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House which shows information about consultants employed by the Driving Standards Agency in the last three financial years.
	Providing the requested information about contractors employed by the Driving Standards Agency would entail disproportionate costs and so is not included.

Driving Tests

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average waiting time for a driving test was  (a) in England and  (b) broken down by (i) region and (ii) test centre in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: Available figures for number of weeks waiting time nationally, and in each DSA region, in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of weeks 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 London — 7.5 11.5 11.0 7.3 
			 Midlands — 8.6 10.2 8.8 5.8 
			 Northern — 8.4 10.1 7.8 5.3 
			 Scotland — 6.7 6.0 5.6 6.2 
			 Wales — 6.7 7.7 6.5 5.8 
			 National 6.8 7.8 9.6 8.4 6.0 
		
	
	Figures broken down by DSA region in 2001-02 are not available. Such figures, average waiting times for England as a whole, and for individual test centres, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, sets of tables showing waiting times at each centre during the same week in late March of each of the last five years have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Major Roads Projects

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the forecast costs are of each Highways Agency major roads project;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to tackle the effects of increasing construction material and energy prices on major transport projects.

Stephen Ladyman: The Chief Executive of the Highways Agency wrote to the Transport Select Committee in April 2006 with information on the latest ministerially approved budgets for major road schemes. I have placed the same data in the Libraries of the House. Since April the following changes have been approved:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Previous approved budget cost  Latest approved budget cost 
			 M25 J12-15 Widening 120 127 
			 A47 Thorney Bypass 27 28 
			 A66 Temple Sowerby and Improvement at Winderwath 39 40 
			 M40/A404 Handy Cross Junction Improvement 14 13 
			 A66 Greta Bridge to Stephen Bank Improvement 9 10 
			 A66 Long Newton Junction 8 12 
			 A57/A628 Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass 103 106 
			 A590 High and Low Newton Bypass 22 35 
			 A2 Bean-Cobham Phase 2 101 120 
			 A2/A282 Dartford Improvement 72 122 
		
	
	In addition, on 20 July the Secretary of State's announcement on the Inspector's Report and scheme orders for the A3 Hindhead Improvement noted that the latest estimate for that scheme is £370.9 million.
	The Chief Executive noted in his letter to the Select Committee that the cost estimates were being reviewed, principally to take account of construction inflation.
	The Secretary of State has now asked Mike Nichols, Chairman of the Nichols Group, to review the Highways Agency approach to cost estimating and project management, and to make recommendations, including on how the agency should best assess, monitor and report on risks to its cost estimates. He will report in the autumn.

Oil Spills (Contingency Plans)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the comments received in response to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's consultation on oil spill contingency plans covering ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth were categorised as not relevant; what proportion of such comments related to the effects of oil spill plan amendments in combination with effects of the proposed transfers; whether these comments will be made available to Forth Ports to assist them in assessing the transfer proposals under regulation 3 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994; and whether these comments will be published.

Stephen Ladyman: This information was placed on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website on the14 July 2006 in the form of a Responses Consultation Table and a Summary Analysis of Consultee Responses. The website address for these documents is:
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-guidance-requlation/mcga -consultations/mcga-current_consultations/mcga-consultations-sts_forth/mcga-consultations-sts_outcome.htm
	All comments relevant to the consultation process have been included in these documents.

Oil Spills (Contingency Plans)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses have been made by  (a) statutory bodies,  (b) non-governmental and community organisations and  (c) private individuals to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's consultation on ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth.

Stephen Ladyman: This information was placed on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website on the 14 July 2006 in the form of a Responses Consultation Table and a Summary Analysis of Consultee Responses. The website address for these documents is:
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-quidance-requlation/mcga-consultations/mcga-current_consultations/mcga-consultations-sts_forth/mcga-consultations-sts_outcome.htm

Register of Driver Training

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) estimated cost of and  (b) timetable for developing the Integrated Register of Driver Training is; and whether each has changed since the project was established.

Stephen Ladyman: The estimated software development cost for the Integrated Register of Driver Trainers is £2,400,000 including VAT. The initial estimate when the project was established was £1,090,000 including VAT but this was based upon a very basic definition of the system. This definition changed significantly as the detailed requirements were identified during the course of the project.
	The system was initially expected to be go live in August 2005. The first three registers, ADI, LGV and Pass Plus actually went live in March 2006. We expect the ORDIT and Fleet registers to be completed during quarter 3 and the remaining CBT register in quarter4 of this year.

Road Schemes

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) original estimated cost of and  (b) most recent cost estimates are for (i) Highways Agency schemes in the Targeted Programme of Improvements and (ii) all local authority schemes approved through the local transport plans.

Stephen Ladyman: For Highways Agency schemes, I refer the hon. Member to my answer today to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather).
	I have placed information relating to major local authority schemes (generally those over £5 million) in the Libraries of the House.

Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfers

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) harbours and  (b) oil handling facilities are subject to the Merchant Shipping(Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention) Regulations 1998; and what proportion are located within statutory harbour authorityareas.

Stephen Ladyman: There are 167 Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention) Regulations 1998 Oil Spill Contingency Plans approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
	159 of the 167 plans are harbour authority plans.
	Eight of the 167 plans are stand alone oil handling facility plans within a harbour authority.
	The majority of the 167 harbour authority plans incorporate oil handling facilities plans within their area.

Thameslink 2000

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the Thameslink 2000 project.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and local government are currently considering the Inspector's report of the public inquiry held last year into the Thameslink 2000 project. Decisions on the various applications made by Network Rail in relation to this project will be announced as soon as is reasonably possible.

Transport Economic Schemes (Cornwall and Scilly)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure on transport infrastructure schemes to support economic regeneration his Department is considering in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; what the schemes are; how much of the expenditure will come from public funds; and when he expects decisions to be made.

Gillian Merron: The Department is currently considering two proposals for funding transport infrastructure put forward by Cornwall to support economic regeneration. The first concerns the transfer of RAF St. Mawgan from a military civilian airport (Newquay airport). The second is a new combined freight and passenger vessel to operate between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly, plus harbour improvements at Penzance and St. Mary's.
	Funding for these schemes is subject to them satisfying the Department's funding approval requirements, but currently the requested DfT contribution for each scheme is approximately£21.4 million for the airport and £26.5 million for the Isles of Scilly project. Decisions will be taken on completion of the appraisal process. We are aware of Cornwall's' need for a decision soon on the Newquay airport and outstanding issues are being discussed.

Transport Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transportation Safety; what note was kept of each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State has not met the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety (PACTS). The Minister of State gave the ministerial response to a PACTS Westminster lecture in December last year and addressed a joint reception organised by the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) and PACTS on 5 July. He also met with the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) who was accompanied by the executive director of PACTS in May, to discuss the Road Safety Bill.
	A note of that meeting is kept by the Department.

Lebanon

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution he expects British armed forces to make to the Prime Minister's proposed international force to be sent to Lebanon.

Adam Ingram: Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to those members of the armed forces, and their partners and families, who have contributed in any way to the evacuation of UK and other nationals from Lebanon over recent days. The evacuation was conducted with the utmost professionalism, under difficult conditions, with the safety of evacuees paramount at all times. I should also like to convey my thanks to those members of the FCO and the MOD who have been involved in the evacuation. I offer all those involved my personal congratulations on a job well done.
	Secondly, on the subject of international support for Lebanon, I can tell the hon. Member that plans are under development, both in terms of a peacekeeping deployment, and in terms of the humanitarian response. Specifically, discussions have been held with international partners including France and the United States, on the subject of an international force. Crucially, whatever is proposed will need the support of both the Lebanese Government and Israel. If an international force is to be deployed, HMG will consider how best it can support the international community in that effort.

Forces' Accommodation

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the quality of maintenance of forces' accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: The Government attach a high priority to the quality of life of Service personnel and their families and are committed to improving and maintaining the quality of accommodation provided to them to the highest standards.
	Service Families Accommodation is graded into four categories for condition, and I can tell the House that 95 per cent. of our housing stock in Great Britain falls into the top two of those categories. We are aware that more needs to be done to improve our housing stock, and it is for that reason we have introduced Prime Contracting to cover all repairs and maintenance. One contract replaces 22 previous contracts. This should lead to improved standards of work and responsiveness and much higher levels of satisfaction for families.
	For our single Service personnel, we have already delivered over 10,000 new single living bedspaces with en-suite facilities, and a further 21,000 are due to be completed by early 2008. This will provide a vastly improved estate.
	In addition, I am also pleased to announce today that the MOD is entering into negotiations to extend the Single Living Accommodation Modernisation Project by a further 5 years from 2007, which is a further illustration of our commitment to improve the living standards for our single personnel. This second Phase will provide a minimum of 3,000 additional bedspaces and create a minimum of 100 apprenticeships within the Prime Contractor's supply chain.

Trident

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason a discussion of a replacement for the Trident nuclear system was not included in the section on future capabilities of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts for 2005-06, HC 1394.

Des Browne: The Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06 is a retrospective document accounting forthe Department's use of the resources Parliament authorised for Defence against the performance baseline in the Departmental Plan 2005-09 reflecting the outcome of the 2004 Spending Review.
	As we said in paragraph 18 of the report, work has now started to prepare for decisions on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent beyond the planned life of the current system. The section of the Annual Report and Accounts on future capabilities deals with major equipment projects which have passed the Main Gate investment approval point. It did not deal with any replacement of Trident, as no decisions on that have yet been taken in detail or principle, and hence there was and still is no project in that respect.

Armoured Vehicles

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with defence manufacturers concerning armoured vehicles capable of withstanding improvised explosive devices.

Des Browne: I announced an urgent review of protected vehicles for operations on 26 June. Today in a written statement I confirmed that this review had highlighted the requirement for a protected vehicle with capabilities between those of the heavily armoured Warrior and the light and manoeuvrable SNATCH Land Rover. As the statement explained we shall buy around 100 additional Vector vehicles, up-armour a further 70 430 series armoured personnel carriers and introduce around 100 Cougar wheeled armoured vehicles.

Iraq

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in southern Iraq.

Des Browne: The four provinces covered by Multi-National Division (South East) remain relatively quiet compared to other areas of Iraq, accounting for around 4 per cent. of all attacks. The security situation in Basra, however, continues to cause concern. To address the problems in the province, the Iraqi Government, has announced a security plan for Basra. I discussed the plan with Prime Minister Maliki this morning. The plan is in its early stages but has already resulted in increased presence of Iraqi security forces—with more to come.
	Elsewhere in MND(South East) the security situation is more positive. Our progress with security and training of the Iraqi security forces was a factor in making Al Muthanna province the first where responsibility for security was handed over to Iraqi control. I expect Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces to follow suit before the end of this year, once the conditions on the ground are right.

Afghanistan

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of British forces in Afghanistan's counter-narcotics campaign.

Des Browne: Troops deployed as part of the NATO-led International security assistance force (ISAF)—including British forces deployed as part of the Helmand Task Force—are authorised to provide support to Afghan counter-narcotics forces, including training, and they will help the Afghans create a secure environment in which economic development and institutional reform—both essential to the elimination of the opium industry—can take place.

Armed Forces' Salaries

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints his Department has received about the administration of salaries of British armed forces personnel paid through the joint personnel administration system.

Tom Watson: The initial roll out of joint personnel administration for pay and a wide range of other administrative services has been to the Royal Air Force only, and formal complaints about aspects of the system have been received in the form of 19 items of ministerial correspondence, and some 236 complaints via the internal complaints procedure of the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency. None have been received under the formal Royal Air Force redress of complaints procedure. However, the errors have reduced from 1,100 in May to 485 in June.

Air Operations/Exercises

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the availability of training sites for close air support operations and forward air control exercises.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence Training areas are used for Close Air Support and Forward Air Control training wherever possible. Private land is also used for training as are sites overseas. We keep the number of sites used for training exercises under constant review.

Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) fighter,  (b) training,  (c) tanker and transport,  (d) reconnaissance and  (e) maritime patrol aircraft were in service with the Royal Air Force in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The following table gives aircraft numbers that were planned to be in service as at end March of each financial year (FY) shown. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Fighter  Training  Tanker and Transport  Reconnaissance  Maritime Patrol Aircraft 
			 1996-97 360 470 100 20 30 
			 1997-98 360 460 100 20 30 
			 1998-99 360 460 100 20 20 
			 1999-2000 330 470 100 20 20 
			 2000-01 460 460 90 20 20 
			 2001-02 510 440 90 20 20 
			 2002-03 420 440 90 20 20 
			 2003-04 420 430 90 20 20 
			 2004-05 370 420 90 20 20 
			 2005-06 380 410 90 20 20 
			  Notes:  1. Only provisional figures are available for FY 2000-01.  2. Training numbers include approximately 150 gliders each year.  3. Contracted fleets are not included.

Annington Homes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the houses sold to Annington Homes have subsequently been  (a) demolished and  (b) sold to private buyers (i) in total and (ii) in Colchester.

Tom Watson: Under the terms of the 1996 Sale Agreement with Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL), houses for which this Department has no further requirement are handed back to AHL. The Ministry of Defence maintains no records of how such properties are disposed of or developed. As a private company it is entirely a matter for AHL. It is believed that the majority are sold on the open market.
	May I suggest that for further information the hon. Member may wish to write to the Chief Executive of AHL at the following address:
	Mr. J Hopkins
	1 James Street
	London W1U 1DR

Armed Forces Personnel

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the conventions are concerning armed services regular and reserve personnel having contact with hon. Members; and when they were last circulated.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 July 2006
	Queen's Regulations provide guidance to service personnel regarding contacts with Members of Parliament for example on handling inquiries from Members, visit requests and political activity. Queen's Regulations are publicly available and I have placed copies in the Libraries of the House.
	There are no service regulations restricting the right of service personnel as citizens to write to their Member of Parliament.

Armed Forces Personnel

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1436W, on injured British servicemen (treatment), how many armed forces personnel in  (a) the Army,  (b) the RAF and  (c) the Royal Navy have been transferred to the NHS for continued medical care as a result of injuries sustained in (i) Iraq since 2003 and (ii) Afghanistan since 2002.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1942W, which stated that details of armed forces personnel who have been medically discharged from the armed forces as a result of a condition that can be attributed specifically to service in Iraq or Afghanistan and whose continued medical care has therefore been transferred to the NHS, could be obtained only by a search of the individual medical records of all personnel discharged from the armed forces since the beginning of those Operations. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	The vast majority of serving military patients in the UK requiring secondary care are treated in NHS facilities by NHS staff. I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper) of 10 May 2006,  Official Report, column 288W, which set out the number of Service personnel treated since the year 2000 at those NHS hospitals where Ministry of Defence Hospitals are hosted. It is not possible to break down these figures to show the number of patients treated for injuries sustained on particular operations. Such information is not held centrally and to obtain it would require the examination of the individual medical records of every patient. These can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality. To seek permission and then to extract the information from the records, could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Counter-terrorism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what budget has been made available to support his Department's Counter-Terrorism Science and Technology Centre at Porton Down for 2006-07.

Adam Ingram: Some £5 million has been made available in 2006-07 to support the Department's Counter-Terrorism Science and Technology Centre. Planned consumption of resources in 2006-07 will take into consideration funding already available through MOD's research budget in support of related equipment projects to ensure value for money is achieved. Once fully established it is anticipated that the centre will attract further third party funding from other Government Departments and industry through joint projects.

Departmental Teams

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) function is and  (b) annual cost in each of the last three years was of the departmental (i) Diversity and Work Balance Team, (ii) Ethnic Monitoring Team, (iii) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Team, (iv) Disability Steering Committee Team and (v) Gender Panel; whether he has considered the merits of amalgamating these bodies into one unit; and what plans he has for their future.

Tom Watson: holding answer 19 July 2006
	The function of the Diversity and Work Life Balance (DWLB) Team is to: ensure the Department complies with, and reports against, the extant and emerging UK and EU legal requirements; develop and support the implementation of associated policy and guidance for the Department's 100,000 civilians; support the achievement of a work force truly representative of the community it serves; and assist the Department in being an employer of choice through contributing to the development of a contemporary employment framework. The salary and associated costs of the DWLB Team over the past three years is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 405,911 
			 2004-05 416,320 
			 2005-06 426,728 
		
	
	The Ethnic Minorities Steering Committee (Ethnic Monitoring Team (sic)), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Team (sic)) Disability Steering Committee and Gender Panel all essentially perform the same function. This is to support the Department taking diversity forward by providing expertise, relevant to the strand they represent, presenting an avenue for members of under-represented groups to have their issues raised and considered, and also to take the Department's message on diversity back to people within their strands. The members of the Committees, Forum and Panel are MOD employees who volunteer and perform the work in addition to their usual MOD duties, in work time. Therefore, we do not have separate cost information.
	There are no plans to amalgamate these bodies into one unit. They provide an expertise relevant to their particular diversity strand and while they continue to be effective in moving the Department's diversity agenda forward, we propose to continue with their operation.

Military (Low Flying)

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written statement of 18 July 2006, on the Pattern of Military Low Flying Across the UK 2005-06, when he expects the 2005-06 report to be  (a) completed and  (b) published.

Tom Watson: The Pattern of Military Low Flying Across the United Kingdom 2005-06 is expected to be completed and printed in early August, and will be placed in the Library of the House during the recess. I will write to the hon. Member when that has been done.

Military Vehicles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which vehicles British service personnel have been  (a) killed and  (b) injured as a result of hostile action in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: 25 British servicemen have been killed as a result of hostile action while in military vehicles since the start of the conflict in Iraq. Twenty of these were travelling in armoured Land Rovers, two in unarmoured Land Rovers, two in Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and one was travelling in an unarmoured military ambulance. Ten servicemen were also killed by hostile action while flying in a military C-130 aircraft.
	A further six personnel have been killed in Iraq during incidents where vehicles were present. Records do not allow us to confirm if they were in the vehicles at the time of injury. Centrally available records do not allow us to give a figure for the number of British servicemen injured from hostile action whilst in vehicles. Two British servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan as a result of hostile action whilst in vehicles since operations began in 2001. Both were in unarmoured Land Rovers.
	Between 1 January 2006 and 6 July 2006, three British servicemen have been injured as a result of hostile action whilst in vehicles in Afghanistan. A further three have been killed and five wounded during incidents where troops were involved in patrols equipped with armoured Land Rovers in Afghanistan. Centrally available records do not allow us to confirm if they were in the vehicles at the time of injury.

Modernising Personnel Administration

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written statement of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 3WS, on modernising armed forces and veterans personnel administration, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) study and  (b) consultation document.

Tom Watson: Yes. I will place the information requested in the Library of the House.

Nuclear Test Veterans

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of awarding war pensions to all nuclear test veterans suffering from radiation linked disease.

Tom Watson: All nuclear test veterans are eligible to claim, under the terms of the war pension scheme, for any disablement causally linked to service rather than for specific conditions or diseases. A war pension is also paid whenever the claimant can raise reasonable doubt, by providing reliable evidence, that the claimed disablement is causally linked to service. The War Pensions Scheme considers disablement from radiation linked disease, to include such conditions as certain thyroid and parathyroid diseases, cataracts and malignant disease and cancer. Cancers due to ionising radiation are clinically indistinguishable from those due to any other cause which are common in a population increasing with age. Based on the findings of National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) reports it is war pensions policy that entitlement is given to any type of leukaemia, other than chronic lymphatic with onset, within 25 years of participation at a nuclear test.
	Therefore no estimate has been made of the cost of awarding war pensions to all veterans who might be suffering from a radiation linked disease that has arisen some time after service in nuclear test areas as it might not be linked to that service The value of a disablement award is determined by the assessed level of all service related disablement, which can be re-assessed if there is subsequent deterioration.

Nuclear Waste

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the inventory of nuclear waste created from all the nuclear weapons programmes in the UK, including the submarine fleet; when the inventory was last updated; and what his plans are for updating the inventory.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory, published periodically by NIREX and DEFRA, contains details of nuclear waste arising from the Defence programme. An electronic copy of the most recent inventory was published on 19 January 2006 and is available in the Library of the House.

Private Land (Military Use)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many privately owned pieces of land are used by the RAF around Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Tom Watson: No privately-owned pieces of land have been used by the RAF around Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Private Land (Military Use)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what private land was used for close air support operations and forward air control exercises in the last three years; in what counties the land used was located; and whether rent was paid for the use of the land.

Tom Watson: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the studies of the demobilisation surveys for reserve forces completing operational engagements for the last five years.

Tom Watson: We are considering whether the documents can be released in full or in part. This will require scrutiny of a considerable amount of information contained within five main reports and three follow-up reports. Once this process is complete, I will write to the hon. Member and, if appropriate, place copies of the report in the Library of the House.

Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the manning totals were  (a) in 2005-06 and  (b) in the most recent period for which figures are available of (i) men and (ii) women for (A) officers and (B) other ranks in each of the reserve forces, breaking down (1) the Territorial Army by area and corps and (2) (x) the Royal Navy Reserve and (y) the Royal Auxiliary Air Force by functional category.

Tom Watson: holding answer14 July 2006
	Available information on the number of male and female officers and other ranks in the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force is given in the following tables:
	
		
			  Territorial Army personnel( 1)  as at 1 April 2005 
			  Number 
			   Male  Officers female  Total  Male  Other ranks female  Total 
			 All Arm/Corps 4,210 1,340 5,550 25,250 5,380 30,630 
			 Staff 80 10 90 — — — 
			 Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 210 — 220 930 70 1,000 
			 Royal Artillery 290 30 320 1,670 220 1,880 
			 Royal Engineers 310 30 340 1,800 230 2,030 
			 Royal Signals 370 100 470 2,700 690 3,380 
			 Infantry 770 10 780 5,940 240 6,180 
			 Army Air Corps 50 — 50 60 — 60 
			 Royal Army Chaplain's Dept 60 — 60 — — — 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 440 60 500 4,610 780 5,400 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 550 190 740 1,240 890 2,130 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 140 20 160 1,940 140 2,090 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Provost) 40 10 50 220 50 270 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) 90 40 130 360 420 790 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Education Training Services) 20 — 20 — — — 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Army Legal Services) 10 — 10 — — — 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 30 10 40 — 10 20 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 10 — 10 — — — 
			 Intelligence Corps 80 30 100 320 70 390 
			 Army Physical Training Corps — — — — — — 
			 General List 10 — 10 — — — 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 350 720 1,080 20 40 60 
			 Unallocated 10 — 10 180 — 190 
			 Officer Training Corps — — — 3,230 1,530 4,760 
			 Small Arms School Corps — — — — — — 
			 General Service Corps 280 70 350 — — — 
			 (1) Figures include Mobilised TA personnel and University Officer Training Corps but exclude Non Regular Permanent Staff and Full Time Reserve Service personnel.   Source:  DASA (Army) 
		
	
	
		
			  Territorial Army personnel( 1)  as at 1 April 2006 
			  Number 
			   Male  Officers female  Total  Male  Other ranks female  Total 
			 All Arm/Corps 4,120 1,270 5,400 26,260 5,740 32,000 
			 Staff 80 10 90 — — — 
			 Household Cavalry/ Royal Armoured Corps 210 — 220 960 80 1,040 
			 Royal Artillery 290 30 320 1,710 250 1,960 
			 Royal Engineers 300 40 340 1,890 250 2,140 
			 Royal Signals 380 100 480 2,770 760 3,530 
			 Infantry 750 10 760 6,520 230 6,760 
			 Army Air Corps 40 — 50 60 — 60 
			 Royal Army Chaplain's Dept 60 — 60 — — — 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 420 60 480 4,680 840 5,520 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 540 190 720 1,210 840 2,050 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 140 20 160 1,960 160 2,120 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Provost) 30 10 40 200 40 240 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) 110 30 140 340 450 800 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Education Training Services) 20 — 20 — — — 
			 Adjutant General Corps (Army Legal Services) 10 — 10 — — — 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 20 10 30 10 20 30 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 10 10 10 — — — 
			 Intelligence Corps 80 20 100 330 70 400 
			 Army Physical Training Corps — — — — — — 
			 General List 10 — 10 — — — 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 330 670 1,000 20 30 50 
			 Unallocated — — — 60 — 60 
			 Officer Training Corps — — — 3,550 1,690 5,240 
			 Small Arms School Corps 10 — 10 — — — 
			 General Service Corps 270 60 330 — — — 
			 (1) Figures include Mobilised TA personnel and University Officer Training Corps but exclude Non Regular Permanent Staff and Full Time Reserve Service personnel.   Source:  DASA (Army) 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Auxiliary Air Force strength by gender 
			  Number 
			   1 April 2005  1 April 2006 
			 Officers 290 280 
			 Male 230 230 
			 Female 60 50 
			
			 Other Ranks 1,190 1,180 
			 Male 980 990 
			 Female 200 180 
			  Source:  DASA (Air) 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Auxiliary Air Force officers 
			  Number 
			   1 April 2005  1 April 2006 
			 All branches 290 280 
			
			 GD 10 10 
			
			 Flying Squadron Leader — — 
			 Junior Officer Pilots 20 30 
			 Junior Officer Weapons System Operator 10 10 
			 Junior Officer Rear crew — — 
			 Flying total 40 40 
			
			 Operations Support (Air Traffic Control) — — 
			 Operations Support (Fighter Control) — — 
			 Operations Support (Intelligence) 80 80 
			 Operations Support (Regiment) 20 20 
			 Operations Support (Flight Operations) 30 30 
			 Operations Support (Provost and Security) — — 
			 Ops spt total 140 140 
			
			 Engineer — — 
			 Supply 10 10 
			 Administration (Secretarial) 40 40 
			 Administration (Catering) — — 
			 Administration (Physical Education) — — 
			 Administration (Training) — — 
			 Medical 20 20 
			 Medical Support — — 
			 Dental — — 
			 Chaplains — — 
			 Legal — — 
			 Music — — 
			 Princess Mary Royal Air Force Nursing Service 20 10 
			 Ground total 100 90 
			  Source:  DASA (Air) 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Auxiliary Air Force other ranks 
			  Number 
			   1 April 2005  1 April 2006 
			 All trades 1,190 1,180 
			
			 Ground trades 1,170 1,160 
			 Engineering Technician Airframe — — 
			 Engineering Technician Propulsion — — 
			 Engineering Technician Weapon — — 
			 Airframe Technician (Mechanical) — — 
			 Airframe Technician (Avionics) — — 
			
			 Engineering Technician (Avionics) — — 
			 Engineering Technician (Aircraft Electrical) — — 
			
			 Communication and Information Systems — — 
			 Engineering Technician Electronics — — 
			 Telecommunications Controller/Telecommunications Operator 20 20 
			 Communication and Information Systems Aerial Erector — — 
			
			 General Technician Electrical 10 10 
			 General Technician Ground Support Equipment 10 10 
			 General Technician Workshops — — 
			 General Technician (Mechanical) — — 
			
			 Mechanical Transport Driver 40 30 
			 Mechanical Transport Technician/Mechanic 10 10 
			
			 Royal Air Force Police 40 30 
			 Gunner 480 500 
			 Firefighter — — 
			
			 Air Traffic Control 100 80 
			 Meteorological Non Commissioned Officer — — 
			
			 Royal Air Force Administration — — 
			 Royal Air Force Physical Training Instructor — — 
			
			 Intelligence Systems Analyst (Communications) — — 
			 Intelligence Systems Analyst (Voice) — — 
			 Aerospace Manager Operator/Senior Non Commissioned Officer Fighter Controller — — 
			
			 Survival Equipment Fitter 10 — 
			 Painter and Finisher — — 
			
			 Photographer — — 
			 Intelligence Analyst (Imagery) 50 40 
			 Air Cartographer — — 
			
			 Staff Nurse (Registered Mental Nurse) — — 
			 Pharmacy Technician — — 
			 Environmental Health Technician — — 
			 Operating Theatre Technician — — 
			 Radiographer — — 
			 Laboratory Technician — — 
			 Medical Administrator 30 30 
			 Medical Assistant 40 40 
			 Staff Nurse (Registered General Nurse) 40 40 
			
			 Dental Nurse — — 
			 Dental Hygienist — — 
			 Dental Administrator/Nurse — — 
			
			 Personnel Administrator 60 60 
			 Data/Statistical Analyst — — 
			
			 Supplier 60 70 
			 Movements Controller/Operator 160 160 
			
			 Chef 20 20 
			 Catering Accountant — — 
			 Mess Manager/Steward — — 
			
			 Musician — — 
			
			 Non commissioned aircrew 20 20 
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Electronics) — — 
			 Weapons System Operator (Linguist) — — 
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Engineers) — — 
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Load Master) 10 — 
			 '—' denotes zero or rounded to zero.   Note:  All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the rounding methods used, figures may not always equal the sum of the parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.   Source:  DASA (Air) 
		
	
	Reliable information on Royal Navy Reserve functional categories is not held centrally and can be collated only at disproportionate cost. A breakdown by units is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Royal Navy Reserves as at 31 March 2005 
			  Number 
			   Male  Officers female  Total  Male  Other ranks female  Total 
			 All units 760 230 1,000 1,160 440 1,600 
			 HMS Calliope 40 10 40 70 20 100 
			 HMS Cambria 30 10 40 60 20 80 
			 HMS Caroline 20 10 30 50 30 70 
			 HMS Dalriada 20 10 30 50 30 80 
			 HMS Eaglet 50 20 80 120 40 160 
			 HMS Ferret 50 20 60 — — — 
			 HMS Flying Fox 20 10 30 60 20 80 
			 HMS Forward 30 — 30 80 30 110 
			 HMS King Alfred 80 20 100 80 50 130 
			 HMS President 100 30 120 110 50 160 
			 HMS Scotia 40 10 50 90 30 120 
			 HMS Sherwood 30 10 40 70 30 100 
			 HMS Vivid 30 20 50 90 40 130 
			 HMS Wildfire 30 20 40 30 30 70 
			 Air Branch 160 10 170 190 20 200 
			 Mine Warfare Clearance Diver — — — 10 — 10 
			 Media Relations 30 40 70 — — — 
			  Source:  RNR database 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Navy Reserves as at 31 March 2006 
			  Number 
			   Male  Officers female  Total  Male  Other ranks female  Total 
			 All units 770 210 980 1,050 360 1,410 
			 HMS Calliope 30 10 40 70 20 80 
			 HMS Cambria 30 10 30 40 20 60 
			 HMS Caroline 20 10 20 50 20 70 
			 HMS Dalriada 20 10 30 50 20 70 
			 HMS Eaglet 50 20 70 100 30 140 
			 HMS Ferret 50 10 60 — — — 
			 HMS Flying Fox 30 — 30 50 20 60 
			 HMS Forward 30 — 30 60 20 80 
			 HMS King Alfred 90 20 100 70 40 110 
			 HMS President 100 30 120 110 40 160 
			 HMS Scotia 40 10 40 80 30 110 
			 HMS Sherwood 40 — 40 60 30 90 
			 HMS Vivid 30 20 50 80 30 120 
			 HMS Wildfire 30 20 50 30 20 50 
			 Air Branch 160 10 170 180 20 200 
			 Mine Warfare Clearance Diver — — — 20 — 20 
			 Media Relations 40 30 70 — — — 
			  Source:  RNR database

Separated Service

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average number of separated service days was in the last recorded 30 day month rolling period for the Regular army  (a) infantry,  (b) Royal Artillery,  (c) Royal Engineers,  (d) Royal Corps of Signals,  (e) Royal Armoured Corps,  (f) Household Cavalry,  (g) Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers and  (h) Army Medical Services.

Tom Watson: The information is listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Average number of days spent on separated service by Arm/Service over 30 months using figures recorded at 1 January 2006 
			  Arm/Service  Number 
			 Infantry 270 
			 Royal Artillery 230 
			 Royal Engineers 245 
			 Royal Signals 175 
			 Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 270 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 320 
			 Army Medical Services 165 
			  Notes:  1. Army Medical Services include the Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps, Royal Army Veterinary Corps and the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.  2. Figures are based on personnel on separated service, at any time from 1 July 2003 to 31 December 2005 inclusive.  3. Figures are for United Kingdom trained army personnel only and therefore exclude full-time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, The Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and Mobilised Reservists.

Separated Service

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) average,  (b) highest and  (c) lowest number of days of separated service over the last three-year period for which figures are available was for each of the Royal Navy pinch point trades identified in his Department's annual report and accounts 2005-06.

Adam Ingram: For the pinch points in question, separated service has only been centrally recorded since April 2004. Data is available up to the end of March 2006. The average, highest and lowest number of days of separated service recorded over this period are:
	
		
			  Pinch point  Recorded separated service 
			   Average  Highest  Lowest 
			 Air Engineering Technicians (including Mechanics and Artificers) 70 505 0 
			 Mine Warfare Petty Officer 165 325 0 
			 Warfare Leading Hand 185 525 0 
			 Nuclear Marine Engineering Watchkeepers 110 380 0 
			 Royal Marine Other Ranks—general duties 115 460 0 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are given for those serving on the trained strength at 1 April 2006.  2. For Nuclear Watchkeepers, the population has been taken as Marine Engineering Artificers at Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer and Warrant Officer 2.  3. The Navy is currently restructuring the Air Engineering branch from the current Artificer/Mechanic career streams to a single Technician stream. For this reason, combined figures are given for these career streams.  4. Royal Marines figures exclude the band service.  5. The Navy harmony guideline for separated service is a maximum of 660 days over a 36 month period.  6. Although days spent on hospitalisation, annual leave and adventurous training are recorded by the separated service system, they do not count towards the 660 days target and are not included in the above figures.

Tavern Armoured Vehicles

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tavern armoured vehicles are owned by the Ministry of Defence; and how many such vehicles are located in  (a) Northern Ireland,  (b) Iraq,  (c) Afghanistan and  (d) the UK.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence currently has 96 Tavern vehicles located in Northern Ireland and eight in UK. None is deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Tour Intervals

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the average tour interval of the  (a) Corps of Royal Engineers,  (b) Royal Corps of Signals,  (c) Royal Logistic Corps and  (d) Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers has been over the last five years;
	(2)  how many tours each battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has undertaken in the last five years; what the  (a) location and  (b) length was of each; and what the length of time was between each deployment;
	(3)  how many regiments of the  (a) Corps of Royal Engineers,  (b) Royal Corps of Signals,  (c) Royal Logistic Corps and  (d) Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers have achieved the harmony guideline of 24 months over the last five years.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1283W, for the information relating to the Royal Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals and Royal Logistic Corps.
	The location of deployments undertaken by elements of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) over the past five years can be found in the following table. Such deployments are normally conducted at sub-unit level and below, and vary in duration and composition of personnel involved, some involving a number of short visits to theatre. Information on the length of time between each element's deployment and the average tour interval that this would imply at Regimental level is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Regiment  1 February to 31 December 2001  1 January to 31 December 2002  1 January to 31 December 2003 
			 1 Battalion REME The Balkans — Iraq and the Balkans (company) 
			 2 Battalion REME — — Iraq The Balkans (company)(1) 
			 3 Battalion REME The Balkans(1) The Balkans(1) Iraq 
			 4 Battalion REME The Balkans The Balkans (company)(1) The Balkans (company)(1) 
			 5 Battalion REME — — Iraq (company)(1) 
			 6 Battalion REME — The Balkans — 
			 7 Air Assualt Battalion REME — — Iraq 
		
	
	
		
			  Regiment  1 January to 31 December 2004  1 January to 31 December 2005  31 December 2005 to 1 July 2006 
			 1 Battalion REME The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq(1) The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq(1)  
			 2 Battalion REME The Balkans (company)(1) Afghanistan(1) Afghanistan(1) 
			 3 Battalion REME The Balkans (company)  Iraq 
			 4 Battalion REME  The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq  
			 5 Battalion REME Iraq (company)(1)   
			 6 Battalion REME Iraq (company)   
			 7 Air Assualt Battalion REME   Afghanistan 
			 (1) Indicates the same tour

Trained Strength

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) actual gains to trained strength and  (b) total target gains to trained strength are for each of the Royal Navy pinch point trades identified in his Department's annual report and accounts 2005-06;
	(2)  what the  (a) total actual gains to trained strength and  (b) total target gains to trained strength are for the Regular Army (i) infantry, (ii) Royal Artillery, (iii) Royal Engineers, (iv) Royal Corps of Signals, (v) Royal Armoured Corps, (vi) Household Cavalry, (vii) Royal Electrical Mechancial Engineers and (viii) Army Medical Services;
	(3)  what the  (a) total actual gains to trained strength and  (b) total target gains to trained strength are for each of the Royal Air Force pinch point trades identified in his Department's annual report and accounts 2005-06.

Tom Watson: It will take a few weeks to validate the requested information to ensure accuracy and consistency. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House when this is completed.

US Missile Defence Agency

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget is for the UK Missile Defence Centre for each of the next three years.

Des Browne: The UK Missile Defence Centre was founded on 18 July 2003 with a six-year mandate. It has just begun its fourth year with an approved budget of £5.7 million, the provisional budget allocation for each of the final two years is £5 million.

Environment and Heritage Service

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 12W, on the Environment and Heritage Service, what steps he takes to ensure cost-effectiveness of court cases brought on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service.

Mike O'Brien: The Public Prosecution Service conducts all cases it prosecutes, including those on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service, in accordance with the Test for Prosecution. That test is whether there is sufficient available evidence to afford a reasonable prospect of conviction and, if so, whether it is in the public interest to prosecute. If the evidential aspect of the test is met, there is a strong presumption that prosecution is in the public interest; the more serious the offence, or its consequences, the stronger the presumption. The cost of bringing a prosecution does not weigh in that consideration. The PPS may take into account, in assessing the public interest, of whether the offence is of such a nature that it is likely that the court will impose only a very small or nominal penalty.
	The cost-effectiveness of prosecutions is based on the overall efficiency of the PPS. It is not connected in any way with the fines imposed following conviction. Such fines are not payable to the PPS. Following conviction, the PPS will usually ask for its costs to be paid by the defendant but whether such an order is made, and to what extent, is a matter for judicial determination.
	The cost effectiveness of the PPS and what is being done to maintain and improve efficiency is the subject of the PPS annual report and business plan, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Homophobic Bullying

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans the Government have to tackle homophobic bullying in  (a) schools and  (b) the community.

Meg Munn: The Government plan to introduce regulations later this year under part 3 of the Equality Act 2006 to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities, services, education and public functions. These measures will empower individuals to challenge unacceptable prejudice in their every day lives and will reinforce and support the work already being done in many communities by police forces and other bodies to confront and tackle homophobic bullying.
	The regulations will be promoted to raise awareness of people's new rights and responsibilities under the regulations and will be accompanied by detailed guidance for service providers. The new Commission for Equality and Human Rights will play an important role in promoting and supporting the regulations when it opens its doors in October 2007.
	We take the issue of homophobic bullying in schools very seriously and the Government gave an undertaking in the White Paper, "Higher Standards, Better Education for All", published last year to issue guidance on bullying motivated by prejudice, including homophobia, providing school staff with valuable support in an area they often find challenging. The Department for Education and Skills is currently developing a programme to tackle homophobic bullying and has accepted a tender from Stonewall for the provision of guidance on homophobic bullying. The Department expects to issue that guidance early in 2007, and to follow this with a series of dissemination workshops.

House Facilities

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will review the rules governing the use by hon. Members of House  (a) accommodation,  (b) telephones and  (c) stationery with a view to tightening the restrictions on their use for party political purposes.

Nick Harvey: Facilities provided for individualhon. Members under the House of Commons: administration estimate, for which the Commission is responsible, are intended for use in connection with their parliamentary and public business. The rules governing their use are kept under review by the House authorities in the light of circumstances, and also in the event of specific complaints alleging abuse. Failure to observe the rules on the use of parliamentary facilities may be a breach of the code of conduct.

Senior Staff Appointments

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 8-9W, on senior staff appointments, if the Commission will take steps to ensure that in futurethe appointments to the three senior posts are made by the House.

Nick Harvey: These appointments are made by the Crown. Changes would be necessary in legislation for the appointments to be made by the House. The Commission has no plans to seek such changes.
	[Continued in Col. 801W]

Arm's Length Management

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to measure the impact of arm's length management organisations on tenant satisfaction.

Yvette Cooper: Tenant satisfaction is one of the best value performance indicators used to measure performance by local authorities. To date there is only data available to cover the first two years of operation for the first eight ALMOs. As soon as sufficient data is available we will be able to assess the impact of ALMOs on tenant satisfaction more generally.

City of York Council

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much in  (a) rate support grants,  (b) business rates and  (c) special grants the Government paid to City of York council in each year since its creation as a unitary authority (i) in cash terms and (ii) at current prices; how much will be paid in each category in 2006-07; and what the purpose was of each special grant of £50,000 or more.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the amount of revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and specific and special grants allocated to the City of York council in the period 1996-97 to 2006-07.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Revenue Support Grant  Redistributed Business Rates  Specific and Special Grants within Aggregate External Finance (AEF) 
			   Cash terms  Current prices  Cash terms  Current prices  Cash terms  Current prices 
			 1996-97 36.598 46.663 41.981 53.526 3.305 4.214 
			 1997-98 38.597 47.821 39.451 48.879 3.128 3.876 
			 1998-99 39.274 47.454 41.267 49.862 4.113 4.970 
			 1999-00 39.478 46.754 44.995 53.288 6.185 7.325 
			 2000-01 36.901 43.096 51.078 59.654 10.977 12.820 
			 2001-02 40.309 45.985 50.021 57.065 15.044 17.162 
			 2002-03 35.89 39.715 55.16 61.039 21.172 23.429 
			 2003-04 45.361 48.747 54.927 59.027 31.192 33.520 
			 2004-05 51.761 54.149 50.943 53.293 31.743 33.208 
			 2005-06 47.84 49.009 61.026 62.517 31.318 32.083 
			 2006-07 6.011 6.011 31.140 31.140 106.983 106.983 
		
	
	Please note that these amounts are not comparable year-on-year due to changes in funding and function. For example, in 2006-07 support for school funding moved from formula grant (i.e. revenue support grant plus business rates) to the dedicated schools grant.
	The current prices have been calculated using the GDP deflator as the measure of inflation.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government do not routinely collect data on all individual special grants from other Government Departments. The purpose of the special grants is a matter for the department that provides them.
	Specific grants within aggregate external finance are those revenue grants paid for councils' core services (such as schools funding), excluding funding for local authorities' housing management.

Consultancies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1538-42W, on consultancies, if she will place in the Library a copy of document 5, the MORI Survey of Government Office for the South East partners.

Angela Smith: The requested document will be made available in the Libraries of the House.

Contaminated Land

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what arethe principal purposes of the Contaminated Land: Application in Real Environments scheme; how much public funding the scheme will receive in 2006-07; when its current grant expires; and by what process future public funding levels will be determined;
	(2)  what is the commercial remit of the Contaminated Land: Application in Real Environments programme; and what its principal commercial activities are.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Contaminated Land: Application in Real Environments (CL:AIRE) is an independent registered charity, which organises and independently reviews demonstration projects on the remediation of contaminated land and disseminates the results in line with its charitable objectives. Details are provided in CL:AIRE's annual accounts.
	CL:AIRE's board includes representatives from the private and public sectors. Some £465,000 of public funds from several sources has been agreed for this financial year, including £80,000 per year from DEFRA for this year and the next two years. Public funding is mainly for specific remedial projects, and also for dissemination of information and other activities. Funding organisations establish their individual requirements in discussions and formal arrangements with CL:AIRE, which has been encouraged to diversify its sources of income.

Fire Control Centres

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what response she has made to the Fire Brigade Union document Regional Control: national resilience.

Angela Smith: The Fire Brigade Union sent a copy of their document "Regional Control: national resilience" to the Deputy Prime Minister and requested a meeting. The Deputy Prime Minister met with the Fire Brigade Union Secretary on the 7 February 2006 to discuss their proposals, amongst other things.

Housing (Hounslow)

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated to the London borough of Hounslow for the upgrading and repairs of council housing stock to meet the decent homes standard since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Capital investment by the London borough of Hounslow since 1997 via the housing revenue account system is set as follows. ALMO allowances are included in these figures.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 15,200,000 
			 1998-99 12,523,000 
			 1999-2000 12,948,000 
			 2000-01 12,690,000 
			 2001-02 10,028,000 
			 2002-03 23,019,000 
			 2003-04 38,901,000 
			 2004-05 68,894,000 
			 2005-06 (Planned) 68,413,000

Local Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost to local authorities of complying with BS 7799 on information security.

Phil Woolas: As part of the Implementing Electronic Government return process, local authorities were asked to provide information on compliance with BS 7799 on information security management, as an advisory good practice outcome relating to the internal organisation and management practices of the council that are required to help deliver the people, systemsand service management changes necessary for e-government. No specific estimate of the costs of BS 7799 compliance has been made, as this outcome is advisory in status only. However, every local authority in England has been allocated £900,000 in capital grant up to help in Implementing Electronic Government up to the end of 2005-06.

Local Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government why the Audit Commission will not be reporting on Best Value Performance Indicator 199d for 2005-06.

Phil Woolas: Best Value Performance Indicator 199d measures the year-on-year reduction in the numberof incidents and the increase in the number of enforcement actions taken to deal with fly-tipping. The indicator was introduced in 2005-06. It will not be possible to publish data showing year-on-year changes until the indicator has been in place for two years.

Local Government Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was given to each London borough per person in the Local Government Finance Settlement in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The table shows formula grant per head for each London borough for 1997-99 to 2006-07. Formula grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula Police Grant.
	Formula grant per head has been calculated by dividing the total amount of formula grant received by the authority and dividing through by the mid-year population used in the calculation of the formula grant. For 1997-98 to 2005-06, the latest population estimates were used. These relate to the period two-years before the period for formula grant. For example, in 2005-06 the mid-2003 population estimates were used. In 2006-07, the population projections relating to the period of formula grant have been used i.e. the mid-2006 population projections.
	Please note that these amounts are not comparable year-on-year due to changes in funding and function. For example, in 2006-07 support for school funding moved from Formula Grant (i.e. Revenue Support Grant plus Business Rates) to the dedicated schools grant.
	
		
			  Formula Grant per head 
			  £ per head 
			  Authority  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 City of London 18,164.52 15,852.79 16,047.26 16,256.25 14,534.16 
			   
			 Camden 982.61 961.99 984.95 1,004.76 1,007.84 
			 Greenwich 897.73 927.66 979.21 1,011.24 1,031.47 
			 Hackney 1,194.50 1,180.36 1,223.50 1,219.51 1,220.75 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 880.69 859.55 881.44 891.84 888.44 
			 Islington 1,034.01 1,031.03 1,057.50 1,095.58 1,131.96 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 707.27 678.37 676.28 663.68 658.17 
			 Lambeth 931.84 925.89 947.68 942.82 955.25 
			 Lewisham 876.35 913.88 943.20 971.95 984.69 
			 Southwark 979.61 1,017.10 1,079.73 1,111.58 1,142.66 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,374.95 1,445.85 1,505.97 1,529.05 1,557.43 
			 Wandsworth 755.36 732.30 755.23 763.54 770.85 
			 Westminster 994.83 919.91 907.86 882.24 858.16 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham 723.85 788.88 860.49 895.62 939.30 
			 Barnet 544.66 564.16 575.81 590.74 609.57 
			 Bexley 552.35 597.26 645.43 672.22 707.46 
			 Brent 821.59 839.38 852.72 853.46 887.18 
			 Bromley 482.85 500.64 523.78 546.53 573.70 
			 Croydon 565.60 590.75 610.79 635.57 664.47 
			 Ealing 658.24 690.73 708.83 728.48 748.79 
			 Enfield 672.87 715.91 750.44 779.80 815.67 
			 Haringey 863.87 903.95 914.60 945.85 974.67 
			 Harrow 519.96 549.44 564.62 583.78 604.80 
			 Havering 497.14 527.39 551.82 578.43 606.61 
			 Hillingdon 564.99 579.41 601.07 628.46 657.98 
			 Hounslow 721.59 738.92 761.13 783.11 816.62 
			 Kingston upon Thames 485.93 495.37 508.72 520.12 540.01 
			 Merton 514.27 542.20 572.85 577.62 587.09 
			 Newham 1,059.98 1,147.08 1,193.80 1,236.93 1,279.71 
			 Redbridge 634.79 672.79 708.52 740.91 780.59 
			 Richmond upon Thames 374.93 381.37 388.29 393.32 404.90 
			 Sutton 546.11 569.83 598.98 620.89 652.49 
			 Waltham Forest 759.34 806.74 845.99 869.86 908.69 
		
	
	
		
			  £ per head 
			  Authority  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 City of London 13,974.07 13,336.05 13,658.95 13,990.73 10,892.15 
			 Camden 975.93 1,029.92 1,065.62 1,128.11 649.22 
			 Greenwich 1,024.41 1,141.71 1,191.33 1,273.76 637.32 
			 Hackney 1,227.81 1,349.32 1,406.90 1,529.12 926.93 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 881.52 933.38 960.60 1,022.59 607.79 
			 Islington 1,144.29 1,231.86 1,276.68 1,361.13 779.20 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 642.46 811.08 811.43 804.81 475.65 
			 Lambeth 973.20 1,062.03 1,109.44 1,184.75 720.99 
			 Lewisham 994.07 1,083.38 1,139.18 1,224.82 654.45 
			 Southwark 1,187.73 1,273.47 1,330.79 1,419.22 818.59 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,587.54 1,652.19 1,699.98 1,835.16 964.30 
			 Wandsworth 756.02 833.61 844.45 875.22 481.47 
			 Westminster 838.59 1,189.86 1,175.91 1,069.94 644.46 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham 950.49 984.56 1,058.69 1,130.13 489.58 
			 Barnet 586.25 684.46 700.94 735.17 240.81 
			 Bexley 710.29 755.29 786.46 833.38 260.15 
			 Brent 877.72 952.43 973.54 1,053.47 568.01 
			 Bromley 551.10 611.57 630.81 661.23 184.43 
			 Croydon 681.04 742.02 769.71 812.14 306.90 
			 Ealing 742.43 827.53 850.90 918.79 422.17 
			 Enfield 815.37 861.06 897.12 952.19 351.52 
			 Haringey 990.07 1,071.42 1,086.46 1,143.28 583.70 
			 Harrow 623.92 707.04 737.48 789.50 278.34 
			 Havering 619.26 687.16 720.61 754.58 209.03 
			 Hillingdon 647.95 749.14 786.76 844.87 286.72 
			 Hounslow 792.16 859.34 885.70 951.47 381.50 
			 Kingston upon Thames 522.92 585.92 616.03 662.54 208.76 
			 Merton 588.37 648.65 675.70 731.91 307.94 
			 Newham 1,311.56 1,396.40 1,416.75 1,514.26 742.24 
			 Redbridge 753.08 795.06 828.45 882.46 326.06 
			 Richmond upon Thames 412.06 503.07 512.91 537.24 126.87 
			 Sutton 635.30 702.69 754.39 815.00 263.32 
			 Waltham Forest 932.00 991.33 1,022.27 1,080.25 492.69

Mineral Extraction

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the impact of quarries on  (a) residential areas and  (b) areas of outstanding natural beauty;
	(2)  what her Department's definition is of an exceptional circumstance, for the purposes of Minerals Policy Statement 2, in which mineral extraction would be allowed in an area of outstanding beauty;
	(3)  what steps she has taken to satisfy herself that Minerals Policy Statement 2, on controlling and mitigating the environmental effects of mineral extraction in England, protects areas of outstanding natural beauty from unnecessary and damaging quarrying.

Meg Munn: Planning guidance to local authorities on planning applications in areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) is set out in Planning Policy Statement (PPS)7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas. PPS7 states that AONBs have been confirmed by the Government have having the highest standards of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. Major developments (including mineral working) should not take place in these areas except in exceptional circumstances and applications for such developments should be subject to the most rigorous examination. Major development proposals should be demonstrated to be in the public interest before being allowed to proceed and will need to be assessed against the criteria set out in paragraph 22 of PPS7. However, it will be for local planning authorities to decide on a case by case basis whether exceptional circumstances exist which would allow them to grant planning permission for a minerals development in an AONB.
	No recent assessment of the impacts of mineral operations on residential areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty has been undertaken by my Department. Any adverse potential impacts of quarries will need to be considered by mineral planning authorities after applications for planning permission have been submitted. Mineral operators will need to demonstrate to local planning authorities in planning applications including (where appropriate) through the preparation of environmental impact assessments that their proposals are acceptable. Minerals Policy Statement (MPS)2 "Controlling and Mitigating the Environmental Effects of Minerals Extraction in England" stresses that mineral planning authorities should take account of the full range of social, community, economic and environmental issues relevant to the planning decision. Any adverse effects on local communities, environmental damage or loss of amenity must be kept to an acceptable minimum. MPS2 advises mineral planning authorities on the use of appropriate planning conditions, which must be capable of being monitored, to mitigate any environmental impacts. Where adverse environmental effects cannot be adequately controlled or mitigated through the design of proposals or the attachment of conditions, planning permission should be refused.

Multi-foil Insulation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to building control officers regarding the use of multi-foil insulation products.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government issued guidance to building control officers in England and Wales on 19 June, following its circular letter on 30 March in which we mentioned UKAS accreditation. We have since understood that UKAS accreditation was not possible since there was no adopted test method. So the Department wrote to LABC Services and the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors on 19 June and referred them instead to the Approved Documents for Part L, Conservation of Fuel and Power, and Regulation 7 which sets out ways for assessing fitness for purpose for materials.

Valuation Office Agency

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 10 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 956-7W, on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), when the VOA's communications strategy for the council tax revaluation was  (a) submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and  (b) last (i) updated and (ii) amended by the VOA.

Phil Woolas: The answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 10 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 956-7W, explains that a communications strategy was being drafted by the Valuation Office Agency before the postponement of council tax revaluation in England, announced on20 September 2005.
	Working jointly with the, then, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Agency worked on a proposed strategy from late 2003. The draft was last amended in April 2005 and has not been updated since, due to the postponement.

Adoptions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children whose parents have learning difficulties were adopted in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: We do not collect centrally information on parents of children looked after therefore figures are not available for the number of children adopted whose parents have learning difficulties.

Autism

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to provide specialist teacher training for the support of children with autism in mainstream schooling;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to support specialist teacher training for the support of children with autism in mainstream schooling.

Parmjit Dhanda: The framework for teacher training ensures that qualifying and newly qualified teachers, including those who support children with autism in mainstream schools, are aware of their responsibilities to children with special educational needs (SEN) and can plan effectively to meet these children's needs. Further, in-service training on particular SEN, such as autism, is a matter for schools and local authorities.
	In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status, all trainee teachers must demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities under the statutory Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, know how to seek advice from specialists on less common types of SEN, can differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEN, and can identify and support pupils who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
	The current standards for teachers are under review. Once revised, it is proposed that they will be strengthened to include a standard which requires teachers to know and comply with current legislation on well being of children and young people and one which requires teachers to know and understand the role of others when dealing with children who have special needs and/or disabilities.
	Induction Standards require Newly Qualified Teachers to demonstrate that they can plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils in their classes with SEN, with or without a statement, and in consultation with the SEN Co-ordinator (SENCO), can contribute to the planning for individual needs.
	The Department's published SEN Strategy, 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' recognised the importance of training and committed us to work closely with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to ensure that initial teacher training and programmes of continuing professional development provide a good grounding in core skills and knowledge of SEN. We have commissioned the TDA to carry forward a range of initiatives designed to improve and strengthen the SEN skills and confidence of trainees, newly qualified and established teachers. These initiatives will be implemented over the period 2005-08 at a cost of approximately £1.1 million.
	All schools receive a School Development Grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, under certain conditions, to provide specific training and development of SEN.
	In 2002 we published jointly with the Department of Health, "Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): Good Practice Guidance" which offered a series of pointers to good practice, including pointers on in-service training. The Guidance advises that,
	"all those who plan or provide for children with an ASD should have some knowledge and understanding of autism".
	Many schools, local authorities and Regional Partnerships have used the Guidance to develop their autism provision. The West Midlands Regional Partnership last month published "autism spectrum disorders: training policy and framework" to ensure more consistency in ASD training by clarifying the knowledge and skills that courses are aiming to cover. This has been distributed to all the Regional Partnerships.

Becta

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will publish the most recent review of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.

Phil Hope: The most recent review of Becta was published in March 2003. Copies of the reports are lodged in the Commons Library and are also available on Becta's website:
	www.foi.becta.org.uk

Communication Disability

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidance is available to children's trusts on joint working between agencies responsible for supporting children with communication disabilities;
	(2)  what professional support is available to assist early years practitioners to assist children with communication disabilities;
	(3)  what assessment the Department has made of the long-term impact for children with a speech and language disability;
	(4)  what steps he has taken to improve parental awareness of Government support for children with communication disabilities;
	(5)  what assessment his Department has made of the merits of implementing a national unitary framework for special educational needs.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework for Children, Young People, and Maternity Services, published in March 2006, aims to help local partners to put in place a unified planning and commissioning system which will put improved outcomes at the centre of their thinking, will create a clear picture of what children and young people need, will make the best use of resources, and will join up services so that children and young people with multiple needs experience a seamless service.
	To assist the process of joint working, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health have commissioned a study of good practice in the provision of speech and language therapy services to children and young people with special educational needs in the age range 0 to 19. A research team from Christ Church College Canterbury is carrying out this study and the fieldwork is currently under way.
	The Department recognises that early identification of need, early intervention and early coordinated support are key in improving outcomes for children with communication difficulties. As part of a major new £250 million investment in improving the quality of the early years work force, the Department has identified training to support practitioners working in private, voluntary and independent sector settings in meeting the needs of disabled children and their families as one of four priority areas. This is new money and complements the training resources already available to local authorities through the General Sure Start Grant. The Department has also funded the development in partnership with 45 partnership areas of a wide range of practical resources and training materials through the Early Support Programme.
	The Department is supporting a longitudinal study by the university of Warwick looking into the learning needs of a group of children with specific language and communication difficulties, the characteristics of the current provision made for them and its impact, their aspirations for the future and the ways in which services can best support them. The results of the study are due to be published in autumn 2006.
	Parental awareness of speech and language difficulties is of course very important. In 2005 the Department published a detailed and well received information booklet for parents on speech and language difficulties under the Early Support Programme. This resource was produced in close collaboration with specialist organisations in the voluntary sector and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. It explains how children normally develop communication, language and speech, how adults can help in this, the difficulties that can arise and how to seek help from professionals.
	In the report of their inquiry into special educational needs published on 6 July 2006, the Education and Skills Select Committee make recommendations concerning the possible shape and nature of a national framework on SEN. We are considering the Select Committee's report very carefully and will respond in due course.

Diplomas

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what projections he has made of the number and proportion of pupils in the fourth key stage who will opt to study for  (a) a general diploma and  (b) a specialised diploma in each of the first five years following their introduction;
	(2)  what his Department's targets are for the take-up of  (a) academic and  (b) vocational qualifications in each of the next five years;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of pupils  (a) in the fourth key stage and  (b) between the ages of 14 and 19 years he expects to opt for vocational qualifications in each of the next five years.

Jim Knight: The Chapter 6, paragraph 18, of the 'Department's Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners', published on 8 July 2004, set out our aim to extend vocational options across all schools as part of our commitment to strengthening choice and the personalisation of the curriculum. To support this aim, the Strategy stated that we will dramatically increase the number of 14-16 year olds studying vocational subjects in schools, colleges and training providers to just over 180,000 by 2007-08.
	The Department published its projections for 14-16 year olds take up of specialised Diplomas in the 14-19 Implementation Plan, Chapter 1, page 20, figure 1.3. A copy of the Implementation Plan is in the Library. Figure 1.4 shows the estimated participation of 16-18 year olds in education and work-based learning over the period 2002/03 to 2014/15. We expect the numbers of young people participating to increase as more learning options become available to them. We also expect the balance of provision to shift towards specialised Diplomas as these come on stream.
	Young people wishing to do just GCSEs will be able to do so. They will also be eligible for award of the General Diploma when this is introduced in 2009.

Electronic Children's Database

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1384W, on the Electronic Children's Database 
	(1)  what plans he has to prevent accidental loss or theft of data stored in the index;
	(2)  what plans there are  (a) to link and  (b) to enable data-sharing between the Information Sharing Index and the National Identity Register;
	(3)  what rights  (a) children,  (b) their parents and  (c) children on the index who have reached adulthood will have to view their personal data stored on the Information Sharing Index;
	(4)  what legal requirement there will be permanently to delete information from the Information Sharing Index once  (a) the child reaches adulthood and  (b) a set period of time has passed;
	(5)  whether the Information Sharing Index will hold  (a) fields and  (b) information for Audit Trail log files on which organisations or individuals have been examining or amending individual records;
	(6)  what the differences are between the Information Sharing Index database and Integrated Children's system database;
	(7)  what plans he has to introduce offences for the misuse or abuse of the database;
	(8)  whether he plans to establish the statutory limitation on what data the Information Sharing Index will hold and which public sector bodies can access the database by means of  (a) primary legislation and  (b) secondary legislation.

Beverley Hughes: In relation to questions (86889 and 86903), the Information Sharing Index will be designed to ensure a high level of physical and environmental security to protect against natural hazards that could interrupt service. Arrangements will be in place to enable operations to continue effectively, notwithstanding any system component failures. There will be an effective and tested contingency plan that would, for example, ensure that a back-up system is in place.
	We see no need to introduce specific offences as there are already measures in criminal law which impose penalties for theft or misuse of data or unauthorised access to computer records. Mandatory training for all users and operators of the index will stipulate that the Data Protection Act provides that a serious offence, with a penalty of a fine up to the statutory maximum, will be committed where personal data is unlawfully obtained or disclosed without the consent of the data controller. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 provides that unauthorised access, or attempted unauthorised access to a program or data held on a computer may be punishable by imprisonment.
	In relation to question (86901), all index use will be monitored through the creation of an audit trail record. Users will be required to supply a valid reason when searching for and viewing an index record. All access to any record will be recorded and reviewed regularly for suspicious patterns of access. Misuse of the index will therefore be detected and dealt with through internal disciplinary procedures or the criminal measures referred to.
	In relation to question (86890), the index will not be linked to the National Identity Register, nor are there plans for data-sharing between them.
	In relation to questions (86892 and 86891), the Children Act 2004 provides that records of children and young people will remain on the index until they reach age 18. There is also provision for records of young people who receive additional services—for example care leavers and those with learning disabilities—to remain on the index, with their consent, up to age 25 in order to provide continued support in the transition to adult services. We will be consulting over the autumn on draft regulations that will, among other issues, propose a period of time during which records will be kept in a secure archive before permanent destruction.
	Children, young people, and parents when acting on their behalf, have rights under the Data Protection Act to see the data that is held about them on the index and to request that incorrect data is corrected or removed.
	In relation to question (86902), the Information Sharing Index is a central database containing a basic record on all children in England, with contact details of practitioners working with them. There will be no case information on the index record. The Integrated Children's System (ICS) is not a database. ICS is a framework that provides a set of principles for case record management by local practitioners working with individual children in need (as defined under the Children Act 1989) and looked-after children. ICS is not itself an IT system, but it is IT-enabled to help practitioners carry out their key tasks effectively.
	In relation to question (86978), section 12 of the Children Act 2004, and affirmative resolution regulations to be made under section 12, will set out the information that must or may be included on the index and specify the types of practitioner whose role would make it appropriate for them to have access. Consultation on the draft regulations will run over the autumn.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Home Department on protection of children on the internet and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill.

Parmjit Dhanda: My right hon. Friend and I have been informed of the content of discussions between DfES and Home Office officials and representatives of the industry about the provisions in the Bill for vetting chat room moderators. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Police and Security wrote to the Moderation Sub Group of the Home Secretary's Taskforce for Child Protection on the Internet setting out the two Departments' response to the concerns raised by the group. Discussions are continuing with a view to clarifying how the requirements in the Bill will work alongside the "Good Practice Guidance for the Moderation of Interactive Services for Children", which the taskforce published in November 2005. There is ongoing discussion at official level on matters arising from the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill which impact upon both Departments as and when they occur as well as a range of other areas concerning child protection on the internet. The taskforce child protection measures sub group have, for example, set up a working group, of which DfES is part, to look at the safety issues for children caused by the development and growth of social networking sites.

School Sport

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools have a playing field or playground where students can practise sports and participate in physical education lessons; and how much land was in use as school playing fields in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 20 July 2006
	Data on areas of school playing fields and external spaces were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001 and 2003. However, the completeness and quality of the data are not good enough accurately to assess the proportion of schools that have playing fields or playgrounds where students can practice sports and participate in physical education lessons. Nor can the data provide information on the total area of land in use as school playing fields.
	Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need the Secretary of State's consent before they can dispose of a playing field or any part of a playing field.
	Since 1998, 175 applications to sell an area of school playing field capable of forming at least a small sports pitch have been approved. Of these, 73 related to playing fields at closed or closing schools. In every case the sale proceeds were used to provide new or improved sports or educational facilities.

School Toilets

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools have toilets fitted with (i) hippos, (ii) cistern and flush controls and (iii) other water saving devices.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on how many schools have fitted cistern displacement devices (such as hippos), cistern and flush controls and other water saving devices. Howeverthe Water Regulations (Water Regulations Advisory scheme 2005) require automatic controls to be fittedto all new or refurbished urinal flushing cisterns. Comprehensive guidance on the fitting of water saving devices in schools is available in a new free publication "Sustainable water management in schools(1)".
	(1) Publication reference CIRIA W12, 66 pages, available for free download from http://www.ciria.org/downloads.htm

Sign Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which colleges offered a British Sign Language course for the academic years  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07; which colleges expect to offer such a course in 2007-08; and what public funding supported or is planned to support such courses in each year.

Bill Rammell: Data on the particular courses offered by colleges are not held centrally. However, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) do hold information on which FE providers have at least one LSC-funded learner taking a British Sign Language course for 2003/04 (336 providers in total) and 2004/05 (312 providers). A list of these FE providers will be placed in the House of Commons Library. Full year figures for 2005/06 are not yet available as the academic year which spans 1 August to 31 July has not finished, but an initial list based on enrolments at 1 October 2005 will also be provided in the House Library. Full-year information for 2005/06 is likely to be available in December 2006.
	FE college planning data for 2006/07 or 2007/08 at the level of individual courses are not required by the Learning and Skills Council. The Learning and Skills Council plans provision with FE providers at a higher and more aggregated level i.e. Full level 2 achievements, etc.
	In 2004-05 the LSC funded 641,000 learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at a cost of around £1.5 billion. Continuing investment in this provision remains a priority, which was confirmed in our 2006-07 Grant Letter to the LSC and the LSC has in turn made clear in their strategic planning guidance the priority it attaches to this provision.

Speech and Language Development

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what advisory support services  (a) are provided by his Department and  (b) the Department funds the voluntary and community sector which offer information and support to children identified as having communication disabilities;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of implementing a national delivery model for schools and other educational settings to support children's speech and language development;
	(3)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of speech and language skills in England; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not itself provide advisory support services for children with communication disabilities. We have however published a detailed information booklet for parents on speech and language difficulties under our Early Support Programme and we continue to look for opportunities to work in collaboration with relevant voluntary sector organisations. We have, for example, given grants for particular projects to the Association For All Speech Impaired Children (AFASIC), I CAN, the Aiding Communication in Education Centres and the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association (SMIRA).
	The Primary and Secondary National Strategies provide a range of support and guidance to schools and childcare settings on the teaching of English and the development of speaking and listening skills, including frameworks to help teachers meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. The primary framework for teaching literacy is currently being revised, and we are developing a statutory framework for care and learning for children aged between birth and five—the Early Years Foundation Stage. Both of these documents will emphasise the importance of supporting children's development of speaking and listening skills from an early age. We have also rolled out a national training programme—Communicating Matters—for practitioners in early years settings, dealing specifically with children's language acquisition. This training, which relates closely to the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage, includes a module focused on support for children with additional needs.
	Speech and language skills are assessed by teachers on an ongoing basis in all key stages including the Foundation stage. Speaking and listening is an explicit element of the overall subject level for English and it is reported within the overall subject level for English at the end of each key stage; it is not reported separately. In the Foundation Stage, it is reported within communication, language and literacy in the Foundation Stage Profile.
	The Department has also indirectly assessed levels of speech and language development in Sure Start Local Programme areas to monitor progress towards its targets in this area. This has been collected using the Sure Start Language Measure Research Association (SSLM), a parental report tool used to measure change in the language skills of two year old children in Sure Start Communities. SSLM data collected by Sure Start local programmes has shown that between 2001-02 and 2004-05 the proportion of children in Sure Start areas with a high word count score at age two and whose parents were not worried about their development rose from 70 per cent. to 74 per cent.

Student Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of graduates were paying back income-contingent student loans in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Borrowers enter repayment status in the April after they leave their course as they are in principle, eligible to repay their loans. However, borrowers only make repayments when they are earning over £15,000 and those earning less are not required to make any repayments.
	The following table shows the number in repayment status and the numbers who made a repayment in each financial year. Full data is not yet available for more recent financial years.
	
		
			   Financial year 
			   2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01 
			 Total in repayment status 568,500 298,300 100,000 35,500 
			 Total who made a repayment(1) 270,900 132,600 42,600 14,500 
			 Percentage making a repayment 48 44 43 41 
			 (1 )Figures include those who made a repayment but who are not in repayment status. Note:Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	The repayment system is still relatively young. The table shows an increasing proportion repaying each year as older cohorts earn more and pass the threshold. However, full cohorts did not enter repayment until 2002-03 onwards. These larger, new cohorts have a negative impact on the percentage repaying compared to the positive impact of the older, but smaller, cohorts. This 'drag' affect will become less evident as more cohorts move into repayment and the system reaches a steady state.

Student Loans

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimates he has made of the average time graduates in each year since 1990 will take to pay off  (a) mortgage style student loans and  (b) income contingent student loans; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The currently estimated average times for loans to be fully repaid are  (a) around eight years for mortgage-style loans and  (b) around 13 years for income-contingent loans. There is no evidence available to suggest that there is any difference in time taken to repay between particular borrower cohort years.
	In both cases, the average number of years is counted from the statutory repayment due date, which is the April following the year of graduation.

Sure Start

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places are available on Sure Start schemes in Swindon; and what percentage of eligible children are on each scheme.

Beverley Hughes: There are three Sure Start children's centres up and running in Swindon offering services, including 56 child care places, to 2,739(1 )children under five and their families. These build on the earlier Sure Start Local Programme set up in 2001 to offer services to 804 children under four. Information on numbers using children's centres' services is not available yet, however information for the month of March, 2005 (the latest available) shows 28 per cent.(2) of children in Swindon had significant contact (that is, a home visit or attendance at a centre-based activity) with the Penhill and Pinehurst Sure Start programme.
	(1) 2,739 children include 804 children previously served by the1 SSLP in Swindon that has become a children's centre.
	(2 ) Source:
	Sure Start Local Programme data returns March 2005.

Sure Start

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have participated in Sure Start schemes in each constituency since its introduction.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested by constituency is not collected centrally. Between 1999-2003, 524 Sure Start local programmes were approved to deliver services to 400,000 children aged under 4 and their families in disadvantaged areas. The latest information available (for March 2005) shows an average of 23 per cent. of children had significant contact (that is a home visit or at a centre based activity) with their local Sure Start programme. We expect all of these to become children's centres providing services to children aged under 5 and their families. The first children's centres were approved in 2003. By the end of September 2006 we expect children's centre services to be offering services to 893,977 children. By March 2008 we expect this to rise to 2,132,279 children across England, including all those living in the 30 per cent. most deprived areas.

University Staffing Costs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the staffing costs were of each  (a) university and  (b) former polytechnic in(i) 1976-77, (ii) 1979-80, (iii) 1985-86, (iv) 1996-97, (v) 1997-98, (vi) 2001-02 and (vii) 2004-05; and how many full-time equivalent students there were at each university in each year.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the following tables. Information for the former polytechnics for the years prior to 1996-97 is not held centrally. Figures for 1979-80 were not published; figures for 1978-79 are given instead.
	
		
			  Expenditure on total staff costs and student full-time equivalent numbers Universities in England 
			   1976/77  1978/79  1985/86 
			  Institution name  Staffing costs (£000)  Full-time equivalent student load  Staffing costs (£000)  Full-time equivalent student load  Staffing costs (£000)  Full-time equivalent student load 
			 Aston 6,483 5,076 9,110 5,554 14,329 3,599 
			 Bath 4,456 3,734 6,335 3,835 15,722 3,799 
			 Birmingham 16,739 8,527 20,124 8,975 48,439 8,939 
			 Bradford 6,553 4,553 8,650 4,994 16,410 4,436 
			 Bristol 12,548 6,746 16,028 6,804 38,395 7,099 
			 Brunel 4,286 2,642 5,567 2,898 15,026 3,196 
			 Cambridge 18,896 11,633 25,196 11,968 61,614 12,567 
			 City 4,720 2,546 6,056 2,977 14,305 3,326 
			 Durham 5,045 4,278 6,670 4,269 17,643 4,996 
			 East Anglia 4,155 3,507 5,808 3,883 16,213 4,383 
			 Essex 3,036 2,523 4,024 2,860 10,834 3,082 
			 Exeter 4,932 4,333 6,844 5,165 15,825 4,943 
			 Hull 5,157 4,616 6,804 5,227 15,318 4,862 
			 Keele 3,158 2,725 4,125 2,983 8,715 2,759 
			 Kent 3,732 3,329 5,035 3,868 12,149 4,230 
			 Lancaster 4,871 4,232 6,742 4,610 16,095 4,530 
			 Leeds 16,317 10,058 20,990 10,451 52,903 10,374 
			 Leicester 6,140 4,214 8,174 4,478 22,330 4,729 
			 Liverpool 12,616 7,656 16,208 7,859 39,631 8,144 
			 London Graduate School of Business Studies 883 327 1,116 334 3,070 363 
			 London University 103,830 42,922 133,518 45,333 329,325 44,908 
			 Loughborough 5,325 4,001 8,059 5,284 23,045 5,295 
			 Manchester Business School 740 143 948 144 2,656 259 
			 Manchester University 18,895 10,765 24,706 11,385 55,337 11,539 
			 Manchester Institute of Science and Technology 7,295 3,874 9,711 3,899 26,996 4,019 
			 Newcastle 11,988 6,915 15,716 7,610 38,754 7,769 
			 Nottingham 10,199 6,359 13,741 6,704 34,485 7,364 
			 Oxford 20,259 12,503 27,296 12,946 68,695 13,139 
			 Reading 8,356 5,435 10,695 5,972 24,413 5,563 
			 Salford 6,231 4,545 7,874 4,714 16,764 4,143 
			 Sheffield 12,300 7,702 15,736 7,996 35,416 7,960 
			 Southampton 10,748 5,805 14,710 6,119 36,235 6,502 
			 Surrey 5,095 3,069 6,537 3,542 19,629 3,336 
			 Sussex 7,133 4,251 8,693 4,274 18,370 4,532 
			 Warwick 4,770 4,203 7,459 5,099 23,431 5,697 
			 York 3,884 2,918 5,203 3,216 13,220 3,606 
			  Source: University Grants Committee. 
		
	
	
		
			  Expenditure on total staff costs and student full-time equivalent numbers Universities, former Polytechnics and University Colleges in England 
			   Expenditure (£000)( 1)  Student FTE numbers( 2) 
			   Institution  1996/97  1997/98  2001/02  2004/05  1996/97  1997/98  2001/02  2004/05 
			 0047 Anglia Ruskin University 35,325 34,593 49,083 54,321 14,020 13,805 17,555 18,330 
			 0108 Aston University 22,415 24,060 31,178 42,011 4,670 5,070 5,920 6,880 
			 0048 Bath Spa University 8,002 8,467 11,388 16,455 2,560 2,920 3,930 5,335 
			 0109 The University of Bath 41,169 42,790 58,270 72,411 6,390 6,735 8,525 10,380 
			 0127 Birkbeck College 19,335 18,886 28,904 37,839 6,500 6,385 6,880 7,060 
			 0110 The University of Birmingham 115,107 114,025 154,316 181,401 17,530 17,835 21,765 23,100 
			 0049 The University of Bolton 15,944 16,694 16,664 22,766 5,335 5,250 4,770 4,920 
			 0050 Bournemouth University 21,072 21,567 31,106 38,871 9,250 9,540 11,105 12,100 
			 0111 The University of Bradford 39,383 39,629 44,745 51,696 8,340 8,600 8,105 8,795 
			 0051 The University of Brighton 37,642 38,468 49,000 62,081 12,565 12,940 14,420 15,350 
			 0112 The University of Bristol 99,949 101,727 129,578 165,195 12,055 11,940 14,260 15,715 
			 0113 Brunel University 43,502 43,484 51,925 61,817 11,535 12,040 11,695 12,540 
			 0009 Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College 17,687 18,538 24,230 30,024 7,190 6,995 7,320 7,125 
			 0203 The University of Buckingham — — — — — — — 575 
			 0114 The University of Cambridge 151,581 159,109 227,791 334,764 16,010 15,990 18,015 18,395 
			 0012 Canterbury Christ Church University 17,927 19,366 27,862 40,702 7,025 7,220 9,305 10,365 
			 0052 University of Central England in Birmingham 44,911 45,842 58,509 74,183 17,845 17,200 16,735 17,925 
			 0053 The University of Central Lancashire 38,788 37,109 56,738 77,228 14,490 14,900 17,220 19,365 
			 0129 Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School 21,308 — — — 970 — — — 
			 0011 University of Chester 10,193 10,392 15,581 29,621 3,540 3,530 5,330 7,750 
			 0082 University of Chichester 7,173 8,293 9,514 12,861 3,110 3,915 3,605 4,100 
			 0115 City University 39,223 40,580 55,117 74,446 7,395 7,730 10,210 12,870 
			 0056 Coventry University 37,133 38,868 50,942 60,044 13,080 13,800 13,470 13,530 
			 0002 Cranfield University 50,524 50,424 63,850 71,515 2,455 2,590 2,720 2,985 
			 0068 De Montfort University 63,475 63,619 68,347 74,807 20,305 20,110 19,235 18,690 
			 0057 University of Derby 25,449 26,481 37,742 43,841 10,540 11,025 10,070 10,885 
			 0116 University of Durham 52,847 54,589 72,872 93,288 10,495 10,445 12,000 14,200 
			 0117 The University of East Anglia 40,935 42,328 56,657 72,599 5,385 9,420 9,075 11,095 
			 0058 The University of East London 34,129 33,040 38,244 46,792 10,040 10,065 10,430 12,190 
			 0118 The University of Essex 29,742 30,209 41,217 54,506 5,500 5,805 6,980 8,440 
			 0119 The University of Exeter 44,306 42,906 53,238 77,711 8,730 8,855 9,805 11,350 
			 0017 University College Falmouth 3,241 3,516 5,769 8,353 1,045 1,115 1,425 1,895 
			 0054 University of Gloucestershire 17,288 17,059 21,985 28,842 5,935 5,730 7,515 6,635 
			 0131 Goldsmiths College 20,328 21,200 28,289 32,960 5,145 5,565 5,870 5,875 
			 0059 The University of Greenwich 51,394 51,275 55,969 58,673 13,215 13,375 13,900 16,175 
			 0018 Harper Adams University College 5,068 5,341 7,297 8,863 1,530 1,535 1,610 1,425 
			 0060 University of Hertfordshire 44,822 45,304 58,530 73,777 14,225 15,000 15,775 19,325 
			 0061 The University of Huddersfield 31,532 31,206 40,605 46,393 12,035 13,225 12,935 13,360 
			 0120 The University of Hull 44,671 45,849 58,012 68,444 9,530 9,440 12,555 13,365 
			 0132 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 121,073 179,096 220,671 268,439 7,715 9,605 10,540 11,595 
			 0133 Institute of Education 14,085 14,905 21,213 28,673 2,270 2,290 2,310 2,970 
			 2001 Institute of Psychiatry (associated with King's College London) 16,997 — — — 355 — — — 
			 0121 The University of Keele 31,489 31,690 40,749 49,150 7,935 8,415 7,255 7,850 
			 0122 The University of Kent 39,991 39,347 47,323 58,893 8,105 7,905 9,975 12,215 
			 0134 King's College London 85,974 109,074 201,075 225,984 11,225 11,895 15,690 17,200 
			 0063 Kingston University 42,362 42,540 55,450 72,477 12,015 11,930 13,895 16,755 
			 0123 The University of Lancaster 44,231 40,978 52,603 69,903 8,345 8,455 9,200 10,825 
			 0064 Leeds Metropolitan University 43,786 42,496 63,450 83,788 14,005 15,105 17,120 20,770 
			 0124 The University of Leeds 129,829 130,309 175,116 213,023 20,775 21,225 25,510 28,655 
			 0125 The University of Leicester 62,721 64,689 84,422 103,176 11,145 11,195 12,640 12,365 
			 0062 The University of Lincoln 23,878 23,131 31,391 35,504 11,995 11,830 9,585 10,175 
			 0023 Liverpool Hope University 10,728 11,351 16,118 22,249 3,705 4,105 5,910 6,030 
			 0065 Liverpool John Moores University 51,405 52,196 60,352 77,552 15,105 16,270 16,925 17,930 
			 0126 The University of Liverpool 92,843 94,865 118,847 143,661 13,735 13,665 15,595 16,825 
			 0024 University of the Arts, London 39,903 41,693 55,476 73,314 8,415 8,320 9,845 11,760 
			 0135 London Business School 14,634 15,135 27,645 37,167 870 940 1,315 1,655 
			 0151 University of London (institutes and activities) 54,310 55,908 41,336 47,718 1,145 955 700 305 
			 0055 London Guildhall University 23,825 23,377 32,935 — 9,165 9,805 10,130  
			 0202 London Metropolitan University — — — 92,35420,645 
			 0076 London South Bank University 47,213 47,353 58,650 62,294 14,560 16,390 13,825 13,810 
			 0137 London School of Economics and Political Science 34,243 36,226 56,609 72,745 6,310 8,310 6,725 7,520 
			 0138 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 16,511 16,956 25,956 30,377 930 640 770 800 
			 0152 Loughborough University 53,532 55,124 71,069 87,271 9,325 9,665 11,280 13,070 
			 0026 University of Luton 27,248 23,738 28,685 24,688 11,820 13,325 8,365 8,110 
			 0153 University of Manchester 139,582 142,790 181,833 — 20,910 20,890 22,270 — 
			 0165 The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology 47,631 49,238 63,179 — 6,850 6,860 6,465 — 
			 0066 The Manchester Metropolitan University 73,247 73,406 82,828 102,994 25,045 24,975 24,690 27,080 
			 0204 The University of Manchester — — — 311,796 — — — 32,525 
			 0067 Middlesex University 46,332 48,262 61,801 71,575 18,595 18,715 17,790 20,920 
			 0154 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 92,946 93,190 127,992 142,721 12,655 12,950 14,770 16,635 
			 0070 The University of North London 31,556 32,193 41,112 — 11,610 11,660 11,975 — 
			 0027 The University of Northampton 22,738 23,362 26,740 33,446 8,015 8,880 9,210 8,640 
			 0069 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 55,965 53,775 70,485 83,077 15,690 16,085 17,930 19,740 
			 0071 The Nottingham Trent University 56,895 57,686 73,169 84,605 21,585 21,420 21,655 22,770 
			 0155 The University of Nottingham 106,574 108,897 147,037 186,114 15,330 15,645 20,465 24,715 
			 0001 The Open University 121,001 119,270 175,537 197,976 63,335 57,710 66,185 64,130 
			 0072 Oxford Brookes University 35,811 36,629 53,868 70,095 9,520 10,035 12,165 14,450 
			 0156 The University of Oxford 153,306 158,426 209,869 268,808 16,000 16,250 17,100 18,400 
			 0073 The University of Plymouth 48,823 49,438 66,427 80,434 17,275 17,480 18,875 21,410 
			 0074 The University of Portsmouth 48,935 48,941 53,745 70,720 14,140 15,010 14,875 17,915 
			 0139 Queen Mary and Westfield College 78,455 76,344 87,665 106,077 7,485 7,805 8,190 9,865 
			 0157 The University of Reading 65,302 66,597 81,270 93,194 10,525 10,195 10,795 11,095 
			 0031 Roehampton University 18,670 18,464 24,035 28,100 5,530 5,880 6,305 7,260 
			 0140 Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine 19,273 20,334 — — 685 710 — — 
			 0141 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 27,996 28,752 37,975 47,858 5,115 5,575 5,390 6,630 
			 0142 Royal Postgraduate Medical School 30,671 — — — 295 — — — 
			 0143 The Royal Veterinary College 9,924 10,346 14,852 21,250 620 640 865 1,285 
			 0145 St. George's Hospital Medical School 28,814 29,744 39,568 44,443 1,365 1,230 1,890 2,365 
			 0158 The University of Salford 57,039 56,615 68,509 83,573 13,760 14,760 16,610 16,220 
			 0146 The School of Oriental and African Studies 16,173 17,227 21,592 26,731 2,575 2,660 3,220 3,555 
			 0147 The School of Pharmacy 4,613 4,754 5,966 8,721 575 580 730 930 
			 0075 Sheffield Hallam University 61,893 57,315 75,775 91,132 19,980 19,265 21,900 22,755 
			 0159 The University of Sheffield 106,958 112,319 143,339 183,631 20,320 19,625 20,965 22,340 
			 0037 Southampton Solent University 25,245 25,870 33,010 34,050 13,750 11,500 9,630 9,490 
			 0160 The University of Southampton 87,938 93,325 127,332 166,246 13,030 14,565 16,305 19,090 
			 0077 Staffordshire University 35,762 35,309 44,811 48,601 12,870 13,025 12,580 10,820 
			 0078 The University of Sunderland 31,284 32,256 39,539 45,613 12,270 12,155 10,060 11,620 
			 0161 The University of Surrey 49,139 52,876 69,028 90,740 7,300 7,695 8,715 9,870 
			 0162 The University of Sussex 42,522 42,991 53,808 68,471 8,965 8,535 9,120 9,210 
			 0079 The University of Teesside 28,533 29,397 38,253 51,413 10,090 9,820 11,120 12,525 
			 0080 Thames Valley University 35,109 34,967 36,530 68,785 15,155 13,325 12,130 13,690 
			 0148 United Medical and Dental Schools, Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals 49,898 49,560 — — 2,220 2,270 — — 
			 0149 University College London 177,929 185,224 273,137 325,512 13,475 13,860 15,300 17,190 
			 0163 The University of Warwick 71,865 74,440 99,539 145,850 12,200 11,925 13,645 16,150 
			 0081 University of the West of England, Bristol 55,809 54,769 72,633 89,741 19,265 19,750 20,330 23,020 
			 0083 The University of Westminster 37,651 38,440 54,933 71,835 12,670 13,045 14,805 15,960 
			 0021 The University of Winchester 9,258 9,430 10,486 14,158 3,965 4,125 3,950 3,955 
			 0085 The University of Wolverhampton 45,697 45,473 55,332 71,199 16,485 17,995 15,855 16,265 
			 0046 University of Worcester 9,110 10,025 12,502 18,175 3,195 3,395 4,435 5,030 
			 0164 The University of York 44,395 46,345 65,092 87,240 6,680 7,115 9,145 9,685 
			  Notes:— indicates:No separate finance record was collected for that institution in that year.No Student Record was collected separately for that institution in that year. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency's Finance and Student records 1996-97,1997-98,2001-02, 2004-05Students ftes have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Visual Impairment

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what support is provided by his Department for partially-sighted and blind pupils in  (a) primary,  (b) secondary,  (c) further and  (d) higher education;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated by his Department for the provision of appropriate literature and equipment for partially-sighted and blind students in  (a) primary,  (b) secondary,  (c) further and  (d) higher education in (i) Somerset and (ii) England in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: The special educational needs (SEN) code of practice provides advice to local authorities and schools on their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children who have special educational needs, including children who are blindor partially sighted. The code sets out a graduated approach to providing support. Many children who are blind or partially sighted will have statements of SEN. All statements are reviewed at least annually. The purpose of the review is to consider a child's progress, to ensure they are achieving desired outcomes and, if necessary, to amend their statements to reflect newly identified needs and provision.
	Children with SEN, including those who are blind or partially sighted, benefited from the substantial increase of £1,170 in the funding per pupil from £2,940 in 1997-98 to £4,110 per pupil in 2005-06 (a rise of nearly 40 per cent.) and from the increase in local authorities' budgeted expenditure on the education of children with SEN from £2.8 billion in 2001-02 to £4.5 billion in 2006-07. £300 million was also made available from 2003-04 through the schools access initiative to improve access to mainstream schools for disabled pupils. Recently a further £100 million per annum has been announced for both 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funds can be used for improving physical access, including adaptations for sensory disability such as improved colour schemes; access to the curriculum; access to written information in alternative formats. This encompasses information, communication technology equipment (both hardware and software).
	Decisions about the support provided for children in Somerset are a matter for the local authority, taking into account its statutory duties.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a responsibility under the Learning and Skills Act to support young people and adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including learners with visual impairments. Overall, in 2004/05 the LSC supported more than 640,000 learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities which accounted for nearly £1.5 billion.
	Disabled students' allowances (DSAs) are available to help students in higher education with the extra costs they may incur on their course as a direct result of a disability (or specific learning difficulty).
	DSAs are paid in addition to the standard student support package; they are not means tested and do not have to be repaid.
	In academic year 2004/05 (the latest for which figures are available) 64,200(1 )DSAs were awarded in England and Wales totalling £74.1 million. In addition there were over 2,600 OU students with DSAs worth around £3.5 million.
	(1) The total number of students in receipt of DSAs involves an element of double-counting since a student can have more than one allowance.

Benefit Applications

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to improve the training received by health care professionals involved in the application process for benefit assessmentsin respect of  (a) multiple sclerosis and  (b) other long-term fluctuating conditions.

Anne McGuire: All Medical Services doctors who carry out benefit assessments receive training in disability assessment medicine, which is constantly evaluated and improved. The training includes the need to take account of long-term fluctuating conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, and how these conditions affect a person over a period of time.
	They are supported in their work by evidence-based protocols that provide up to date guidance on disabling conditions and their effects.
	Doctors are also required to undertake continuing professional education on topics relevant to disability assessment.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter of5 May from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on overpayment of benefits.

James Plaskitt: holding answer on 16 June 2006
	I replied to the hon. Member on 8 June 2006.

Crisis Loans

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many telephone lines are available in Crewe and Nantwich that are dedicated lines to the North West call centre for crisis loans; how many missed calls were recorded per day on average in the last period for which figures are available; how many complaints have been received about those lines in the last 12 months; and how crisis loans can be accessed if his Department's local office is closed;
	(2)  where the officials answering calls to the telephone lines dedicated to applicants for crisis loans in the North West are located.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 24 July 2006:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking how many telephone lines are available in Crewe and Nantwich that are dedicated lines to the North West call centre for crisis loans; how many missed calls were recorded per day on average in the last period for which figures are available; how many complaints have been received about those lines in the last 12 months; how crisis loans can be accessed if the Department's local office is closed and where the officials answering calls tothe telephone lines dedicated to applicants for crisis loans in the North West are located. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Social Fund Unit in Hartford House, Northwich is one of 13 such units in the Jobcentre Plus North West Region, which process applications for Crisis Loans. This unit covers more than one individual site. Customers can apply for a Crisis Loan by telephone (Crisis Loan Direct) or opt for a face-to-face interview.
	The Northwich unit administers the Social Fund for the area covered by the Cheshire and Warrington Jobcentre Plus District. Customers within this District are able to access the Crisis Loan team in Northwich by telephone, or by the freephone facility at their local Jobcentre. Nantwich Jobcentre has one telephone programmed for Social Fund customers and Crewe Jobcentre has four. Applications for Crisis Loans for the rest of the North West are processed in the following sites: Mitre House, Lancaster; Marton Mere, Blackpool; Barry House, Preston; Rusholme, Manchester; Graeme House, Chorlton; Park Road, Toxteth; Hordan House, Birkenhead; Edendale House, Huyton; Webster House, Kirkby; Eastbank House, Southport; Gregson House, St Helens; Kingsway House, Widnes; Newgate House, Rochdale; Elizabeth House, Bolton; Beech House, Hyde; and Brun House, Burnley. Overall, there are 110 dedicated telephone lines for Crisis Loans throughout the North West Region.
	I regret that I am unable to provide you with reliable data on the numbers of missed calls, as the current telephony system does not record this.
	The Northwich team receive an average of sixty-five Crisis Loan applications each day. In the last twelve months a total of fifty-five complaints have been received concerning the difficulties experienced by customers in accessing this service. A number of those complaints followed a period between October and November 2005 during which the telephony system experienced extensive service interruptions and suspensions. Jobcentre Plus is currently investing in an enhanced telephony and IT system, to improve customer service as part of our programme to transform Social Fund delivery.
	From April 2008 all Social Fund functions, including Crisis Loan Direct, for customers in our Cheshire and Warrington District will be delivered from a specialist unit in Belle Vale, Liverpool. Until then, Northwich will continue to administer Crisis Loan Direct.
	Those customers who need a Crisis Loan when our offices are closed (i.e. outside normal working hours) can access the "Out of Hours Service" (OOHS), by contacting their Local Authority, Social Services or the police. The Pension Service can also make a referral to the OOHS on a weekday night up to 20.00. These contacts have details of the OOHS dedicated telephone numbers.
	I am extremely concerned that your constituents have continued to experience difficulties in accessing the Crisis Loan service in Northwich, and can assure you that both my Regional and Local Social Fund Managers are taking action to address these capacity issues. I am confident that, as staff gain greater experience, with the introduction of a number of streamlined processes, and with improvements to the telephone service, we should be able to resolve these problems.
	Both Bill Marks, NW Region Benefit Delivery Manager and Angela Keith, NW Region Social Fund Manager, will be more than happy to discuss any further concerns you may have, and I have also asked that they arrange an early meeting with the appropriate Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled staff within his Department  (a) received equipment and adaptations through the Access to Work scheme up to 2003 and  (b) receive equipment and adaptations paid for by his Department.

Anne McGuire: Any Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employee requiring equipment and adaptation support up until March would have received the necessary support with costs attributed to the national Access to Work budget. However, Jobcentre Plus Access to Work did not collect the numbers of departmental disabled staff accessing adaptations and equipment support at that time.
	Currently any DWP employee requiring equipment and adaptations continues to receive the necessary support, and costs are attributed to the individual local budgets relevant to the individual employee. Prior to the introduction of our new resource management system, we are collecting clerical statistical data on numbers of reasonable adjustments undertaken each quarter, the information is shown on the following table.
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Number of reasonable adjustments undertaken 
			 August 2005 492 
			 December 2005 545 
			 March 2006 321

Financial Assistance Scheme/Pension Protection Fund

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he next plans to review the level of funding for  (a) the Financial Assistance Scheme and  (b) the Pension Protection Fund.

James Purnell: Following the recent review, on25 May we announced that we will extend eligibility for the financial assistance scheme (FAS) to members of qualifying pension schemes who were within 15 years of their scheme's normal retirement age on 14 May 2004.
	Those within seven years of their scheme's normal retirement age on 14 May 2004 will benefit from the FAS topping up their pensions to around 80 per cent. of their expected core pension. Those between seven and 15 years from their scheme's normal retirement age who can more reasonably be expected to supplement their retirement income will be considered for a top-up to around 65 per cent. of their expected pension if they are between seven and 11 years from scheme pension age, and 50 per cent. between 12 and 15 years.
	We estimate that this will require funding of£2.3 billion. This is £1.9 billion more than the £400 million over 20 years that we allocated in May 2004.
	The Pension Protection Fund is an independent body governed by a board. It is funded in two ways; through the assets of schemes for which it assumes responsibility and by charging an annual pension protection levy on the pension schemes eligible for entry to the PPF. The PPF is responsible for setting the levy and has estimated a levy of £575 million for 2006-07 following wide consultation with industry.
	Provisions in the Pensions Act 2004 prevent the PPF from increasing its levy by more than 25 per cent. each year, up to an overall maximum ceiling. If the PPF wish to raise a levy beyond the ceiling then it must undertake consultation before asking Secretary of State to increase the levy ceiling.

Jobcentre Plus

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial savings were achieved by Jobcentre Plus in 2005-06 against budget; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what financial savings were achieved by Jobcentre Plus in 2005-06 against budget. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The financial figures for 2005-06 are currently being audited. The unaudited position for 2005-06 shows an overall saving of £94 million against budget, as set out in the table below.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Budget  Outturn  Saving/(Overspend) 
			 Resource DEL
			 Staff costs 1,786 1,797 (11) 
			 Non-staff costs J.007 984 23 
			 Net programme costs 1,088 1,076 12 
			 Total resource DEL 3,881 3,857 24 
			 Capital DEL 356 286 70 
			 Total Jobcentre Plus 4,237 4,143 94

Means Testing

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to ask the Government Actuary's Department to make an assessment of the assumptions underlying the projections of  (a) public spending and  (b) the extent of means testing inCm 6841; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The assumptions and modelling techniques underpinning the analysis contained in Security in Retirement: towards a new pensions system (Cm 6841) have been developed and refined over a number of years through a process of regular contact and validation with a range of expert organisations. In the past year these have also been scrutinised by the independent Pensions Commission who found them to be broadly comparable with their own analysis.
	As part of the consultation process on Cm 6841 we will continue to engage with such organisations, including the Government Actuary's Department, to set out and explain in detail the analysis it contained, including our projections on future public expenditure and eligibility for pension credit. We also intend to publish, prior to the introduction of legislation, the research on which our proposals are based.

National Insurance Numbers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he was informed that national insurance numbers were being issued to  (a) illegal immigrants,  (b) immigrants with false papers and  (c) immigrants whose visas had expired; when the review into this matter was begun; and if he will make a statement

James Plaskitt: National insurance numbers (NINOs) are only ever allocated when an individual has proved their identity. Individuals who present false documentation would not be allocated a NINO as we would not be satisfied as to their identity.
	In May 2006 DWP undertook a review of the NINO allocation rules to see whether DWP systems could be tightened to protect the security of the NINO.
	As a result of this review on Monday 5 June 2006 I announced changes to improve the NINO allocation process. These changes were introduced duringJuly 2006 and will introduce a "right to work" pre-condition for employment-related NINO applications. This will prevent illegal workers being allocated a NINO.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on travel passes for young people on the new deal in each year since 1997; how many passes were issued in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The New Deal Reduced Rail Fare Scheme was established in 1997 and, in England and Wales, is jointly operated by Jobcentre Plus and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The scheme was set up to provide new deal participants with reduced travel costs whilst on the New Deal programme.
	New deal participants are advised about the availability of the Reduced Rail Fare Scheme either in their first invitation letter or at the initial gateway interview. Rail fare reductions can be made available,at adviser discretion, to eligible new deal for young people participants travelling in England and Wales throughout their time on new deal, on all trains participating in the scheme. In addition, ATOC have agreed to provide further reductions for the first three months of rail travel once participants have left new deal for a sustained job. In this instance, all travel tickets must be bought whilst the participant is on the new deal programme.
	In Scotland, First ScotRail, SPT, GNER and Virgin Trains offer free and reduced rate travel to all new deal customers in certain geographical locations. This provision is available to new deal customers from their first day on the programme until their first wage is received.
	Local agreements are also in operation with some bus companies for the provision of reduced rate fares for new deal customers and, in certain circumstances, travel costs are paid through other sources such as the Adviser's Discretion Fund or the Travel to Interview Scheme.
	Data is not held on the number of travel passes issued, and expenditure has not been accounted for at the level of detail required to separately identify the costs of the New Deal Reduced Fare Scheme, or the costs of funding travel for new deal customers through other sources. However, no subsidy is paid to train or bus companies by Jobcentre Plus for the Reduced Fare Scheme and the only costs incurred by the Department are the administrative costs involved in managing any necessary paperwork.

Parliamentary Questions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department were awaiting a reply on10 July 2006; which of those had been waiting longer than  (a) two and  (b) three weeks for a reply; and what the reason for the delay was in each case.

Anne McGuire: The Department received 4,124 ordinary, named day and Lords parliamentary questions in the 12 month period to 30 June.
	A total of 190 parliamentary questions to the Department of Work and Pensions were awaiting answer on 10 July 2006, of which 10 had been outstanding for more than two weeks but less than three weeks and 85 were outstanding for more than three weeks.
	The reasons for delay in each case are not collated centrally and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department endeavours to answer named day questions on the day named and to reply to ordinary written questions within a working week.

Pension Credit

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1171W, on pension credit, why production of the pension credit wallets ceased.

James Purnell: Production of the pension credit 'plastic wallets' ceased because there was sufficient stock to meet likely demand.

Pensions White Paper

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total number of pensioners who would receive savings credit under the current system but will not under the proposals in the White Paper security in retirement, towards a new pensions system in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2020,  (c) 2030,  (d) 2040 and  (e) 2050.

James Purnell: Under our reforms, more people will be receiving state pensions based on their national insurance records, and there will be a more generous basic state pension due to the restoration of the earnings link. This provides a solid foundation for private saving. Incentives are further enhanced by reducing the growth of the savings credit.
	The following table shows the difference between the number of pensioner households projected to be receiving savings credit in each year requested under the current system projected forward and under the proposals contained in the White Paper "security in retirement: towards a new pensions system". These figures do not take into account the effects of introducing personal accounts, which should lead to lower proportions of older people being eligible for pension credit.
	
		
			  Table 1: Projected numbers of pensioner households in selected years that may receive savings credit under the current system projected forward, and that may receive it under the white paper proposals 
			   Number of pensioner households that may receive savings credit under the current system projected forward (million)  Number of pensioner households that may receive savings credit under the white paper proposals (million)  Difference 
			 2010 2.40 2.05 0.35 
			 2020 3.00 1.85 1.15 
			 2030 4.00 1.60 2.40 
			 2040 5.05 1.60 3.40 
			 2050 6.15 1.70 4.45 
			  Notes:1. Projections of numbers receiving savings credit in the future are subject to a range of uncertainties and a number of factors including policies on uprating different benefits, and assumptions on rates of take-up.2. The assumptions applied here are consistent with those that underpin published long-run expenditure projections, and are applied to projections of the number of pensioner households estimated to be eligible for the savings credit.3. The projections of recipients of the savings credit under the current system and the reform proposals are calculated by applying assumed rates of take-up, care should be taken when interpreting these projections. In particular data deficiencies make it difficult to be confident in the split between the number of people who may be in receipt of only the guarantee credit and those who may be in receipt of both the guarantee credit and the savings credit. Also the projections are sensitive to the assumed take-up rates.4. Estimates of the proportion of pensioner households eligible to the savings credit are the mid-points of projections taken from two separate micro-simulation models. Modelling of the reform proposals does not assume any increase in private saving from the introduction of personal accounts, which would further reduce the numbers eligible for the savings credit.5. The projections of the number and proportion of pensioner households eligible for the savings credit are sensitive to modelling assumptions and to projected changes in the distribution of pensioner incomes.6. The projections of the number of pensioner households eligible for the savings credit are derived from the projected proportions eligible and projections of the number of pensioner households in Great Britain.7. The reform projections assume: continued earnings uprating of the standard guarantee credit; the savings credit maximum is uprated by earnings from 2008 and then by prices from 2015; earnings uprating of the basic state pension from 2012; measures to improve coverage of the basic state pension described in the White Paper.8. The projections under the current system assume that basic state pension is uprated in line with prices and the standard guarantee credit with earnings each year. It should be noted that there is a government commitment to uprate the standard guarantee credit with earnings until 2008. Treasury projections for the current system assume price uprating of the standard guarantee credit beyond 2008.9. Estimates are calibrated to the mid-points of the 2004-05 National Statistics range estimates of non-eligibility to pension credit, which adjust 2004-05 Family Resources Survey data to take account of possible biases in reporting. Although the estimates here are not presented as ranges, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty.10. The projections are rounded to the nearest 50,000. Totals are rounded separately so components may not sum to totals.

Concessionary Fares

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department plans to extend the Department for Regional Development's concessionary fares scheme for pupils returning to school in the sixth form.

David Cairns: The Northern Ireland concessionary fares scheme currently provides half fare travel on public transport for all children up to the 30 June after they become 16, that is, until the end of their period of compulsory attendance at school. On 26 June 2006, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland launched a review of the scheme. This review will consider the feasibility and desirability of options for extending the provision of concessionary travel to additional categories, such as pupils returning to school in the 6th form.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals have been employed in (i) each department in Northern Ireland and (ii) the Northern Ireland Office in each of the last five years; what vetting procedures are in place for each category of staff; and whether this includes liaison with foreign law enforcement agencies.

David Hanson: Recruitment Service of the Department of Finance and Personnel has responsibility for providing a vetting service for all employees appointed to the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS).
	The vetting process for all prospective appointees to the NICS includes a number of levels which will be determined by the nature of the duties the appointee is required to carry out. Approximately 95 per cent. of all appointees are required to satisfy a Basic Check level which consists of an identification check as well as a Criminal Record Check (CRC). The CRC, which is undertaken by the Criminal Records Division of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), identifies all instances where an individual has either been convicted of an offence or where a criminal case is pending.
	A small number of posts within the NICS may require enhanced vetting. In addition to those checks carried out under 'Basic Check', enhanced vetting, which is undertaken by the NI Security and Vetting Unit of the NIO, includes an assessment of an applicant's credit and pecuniary history and an assessment of the individual as a security risk.
	Recruitment Service does not have any direct links, or liaise in any way, with foreign law enforcement agencies, when vetting prospective recruits.
	The figures for those employed by Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments within the years and the categories specified are contained within the following table.
	
		
			  Financial Year  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Classification  EU  Non-EU  EU  Non-EU  EU  Non-EU  EU  Non-EU  EU  Non-EU 
			  Department   
			 DARD 6 2 11 1 15 4 27 8 13 1 
			 DCAL 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 
			 DE 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 
			 DEL 5 2 3 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 
			 DETI 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 DFP 12 4 11 3 10 4 11 4 4 3 
			 DHSSPS 2 0 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			 DOE 0 0 3 2 7 2 21 3 11 2 
			 DRD 5 1 13 1 11 2 8 0 1 1 
			 DSD 18 8 15 3 15 2 18 3 11 3 
			 OFMDFM 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 NIO 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 
			 Total 53 18 60 11 69 16 89 20 46 11

Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the latest estimate is of the net revenue to be raised from domestic rates in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

David Hanson: Domestic rates consists of two elements, the Regional Rate, set by the Secretary of State on a uniform basis across Northern Ireland, and the district rate, set separately by each district council relevant to the location of the property The current estimates of total revenue to be raised from domestic rates in 2006-07 and 2007-08 are detailed in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Total estimated domestic rate revenue 
			  £ million 
			  ( 1) Regional rate ( 2) District rate 
			 2006-07 248.7 197.4 
			 2007-08 269.9 Not yet available 
			 (1) Based on domestic Regional Rate increases of 19 per cent. in 2006-07 and 6 per cent. in 2007-08 as set out in Northern Ireland Priorities and Budget 2006-08.(2) District councils set their rate in February of the preceding year so figure for 2007-08 not yet available. 
		
	
	These estimates will be subject to revision as information is updated.

Language Support

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the range and nature is of language support services available to  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Northern Ireland; and how much was available for language support services in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last four academic years.

Maria Eagle: The Education and Library Boards (ELBs) are responsible for ensuring that appropriate support arrangements are in place for children who have significant difficulty with English as an additional language (EAL). The range and nature of language support services available to both primary and secondary schools varies within each ELB area. Some ELBs provide peripatetic teaching staff, some offer schools the opportunity to "buy in" peripatetic services, whilst others provide support through advisers. In addition, some Boards make available interpreting services in certain languages.
	The Department of Education provides earmarked funding, which must be used solely for English as an Additional Language (EAL) provision, to the Education and Library Boards. This funding was originally distributed equally across the five Boards but since 2004-05 funding has been distributed on a per capita basis for each EAL pupil recorded in the school census. The funding by ELB by financial year is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Allocation 
			  £ 
			  Board  2003-04  2004-05  (Allocated gradually)  2005-06  2006-07 
			 BELB 80,000 110,000 159,000 160,000 
			 NEELB 80,000 72,000 92,000 96,000 
			 SEELB 80,000 85,000 112,000 96,000 
			 SELB 80,000 85,000 153,000 177,000 
			 WELB 80,000 58,000 54,000 52,000 
			 Total 400,000 410,000 570,000 581,000 
		
	
	Since 2005-06 funding, additional to that provided to the ELBs, is given direct to schools through the Common Funding Formula. This funding, which is not earmarked, includes an EAL factor that targets resources directly to schools with EAL pupils. The cash value for each EAL pupil identified in the school census was £864 in 2005-06 and £912 in 2006-07. The funding by ELB by financial year is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Allocations to schools 
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 BELB(1) 73,000 129,000 432,000 614,000 
			 NEELB — — 287,000 441,000 
			 SEELB — — 344,000 379,000 
			 SELB — — 462,000 885,000 
			 WELB — — 162,000 218,000 
			 Total 73,000 129,000 1,687,000 2,537,000 
			 (1 )BELB were the only funding authority to distribute resources to schools from an EAL factor within its Local Management Schools formula, prior to the introduction of Common Funding from 2005-06. 
		
	
	In addition, £100,000 has been allocated in 2006-07 and £75,000 in 2007-08 within the Children and Young People's Package for regional interpreting and translation of documents services for teachers, EAL pupils and their parents.
	The Department is working with the ELBs to develop a comprehensive policy and a proposal for a regional EAL service.

Paediatric Cardiology

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children are awaiting an initial paediatric cardiology assessment in the Province.

Paul Goggins: pursuant to the reply, 6 June 2006, Official Report c. 559W
	I am now in a position to provide the information requested.
	The number of children awaiting an initial paediatric cardiology assessment in each applicable Health and Social Service Trust at 26 May 2006 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Health and Social Service Trust  Number of Children waiting for an initial outpatient paediatric cardiology appointment at  26 May 2006 
			 Altnagelvin Group(1) 39 
			 Causeway 13 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group(1) 84 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals 681 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals(2) 96 
			 United Hospitals Group 58 
			 NI Total 971 
			 (1) Altnagelvin Group and Craigavon Group trusts provided numbers waiting at 30 April 2006.  (2) Subsequent to when this answer was initially prepared, Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust provided numbers waiting at31 May 2006.   Source:  Health and Social Services Trusts

Pensioners

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of pensioners in Northern Ireland did not take up their eligibility to  (a) pension credit and  (b) housing benefit in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to ensure pensioners are informed of their benefit entitlements.

David Hanson: It is not possible to provide estimates of pensioners in Northern Ireland who did not take up their eligibility to pension credit and housing benefit.
	 Benefit uptake
	The Social Security Agency (SSA) promotes the range of benefits for pensioners through pension tele-centres in Belfast and Londonderry, the internet, promotional leaflets and regional benefit uptake events. A network of pension advisers is also located in its 35 jobs and benefit offices/social security offices.
	The 2005-06 Benefit Uptake Strategy piloted a number of exercises targeting 3,750 pensioners offering them a comprehensive benefit assessment. Of those targeted by the 2005-06 strategy 10 per cent. made successful claims; resulting in £400,000 paid in arrears and an average weekly increase of £30 for each successful customer amounting to additional yearly benefit spend of £575,000.
	The 2006-07 expanded programme is targeting 35,000 clients including older people, people with disabilities and carers. Of the 35,000 clients being targeted 33,000 are older people.
	The SSA has been working in partnership with the NI Housing Executive (NIHE) to promote uptake of housing benefit (HB) among the elderly. An exercise last year identified those in receipt of pension credit (PC), living in rented accommodation hut not receiving HB. 23,765 people were contacted by the Agency and invited to apply for HB with the latest figures indicating 6,071 applications issued, with 3,923 (65 per cent.) having been returned and passed to either the NIHE or Rate Collection Agency for assessment.
	All new PC claimants are now also invited to apply for HB when making their claim for PC.

Tourism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tourists he expects to come to Northern Ireland in 2006; and how many came in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board's (NITB) Tourism Barometer implemented in June indicates a good 2006 performance to date by all tourism business sectors and a positive outlook for the summer period. Accommodation occupancy surveys also support evidence of a positive start to the year. 2006 visitor number forecasts for full year are not yet available. The table indicates the number of visitors in the last three years.
	
		
			  Visitor Performance, 2003-05 
			   Number 
			 2005 1,972,000 
			 2004 1,985,000 
			 2003 1,896,000

Parliamentary Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much in legal aid has been provided to Mr. Nabeel Sami Fathallah; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: I am not able to disclose this information. The Department can only disclose legal aid details where individuals have received legal aid in connection with litigation, and where that litigation has ceased.

Rescheduled Court Cases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many court cases in each London court had to be rescheduled because the defendant failed  (a) to attend and  (b) to bring the appropriate documentation in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: The following tables show the number of trials held in London which had to be rescheduled (became ineffective) because the defendant did not attend. Separate tables are provided for cases dealt with in the magistrates courts where data is only available for Local Justice Areas, and for each of the Crown courts. Information on the number of cases wherethe defendant failed to bring the appropriate documentation is not collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Ineffective trials due to defendant non-attendance in the Crown court( 1) 
			  Crown court centre  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Blackfriars 25 35 19 24 19 
			 Central criminal court 7 6 2 1 2 
			 Croydon 47 32 37 17 10 
			 Harrow 32 29 27 15 17 
			 Inner London Sessions House 38 53 34 35 31 
			 Isleworth 35 43 42 30 23 
			 Kingston upon Thames 18 31 37 25 22 
			 Middlesex Guildhall 29 32 31 11 5 
			 Snaresbrook 73 66 72 74 49 
			 Southwark 40 64 38 15 30 
			 Wood Green 36 49 34 16 13 
			 Woolwich 20 19 20 13 11 
			 Total 400 459 393 276 232 
			 (1 )Does not include defendant absence through illness or non-production from prison 
		
	
	
		
			  Ineffective trials due to defendants non attendance in each Local Justice Area in the London magistrates court region( 1) 
			   Financial year 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barking 34 47 17 
			 Barnet 63 49 52 
			 Bexley 37 44 10 
			 Brent 62 64 55 
			 Bromley 46 51 12 
			 City of London 40 30 31 
			 Croydon 171 130 23 
			 Ealing 72 63 29 
			 East Central 91 176 145 
			 Enfield 36 60 24 
			 Haringey 61 88 43 
			 Harrow 75 35 23 
			 Havering 27 32 13 
			 Hillingdon 193 85 60 
			 Hounslow 59 45 18 
			 Kingston upon Thames 19 16 5 
			 North Westminster 24 44 25 
			 Redbridge 47 75 31 
			 Richmond upon Thames 36 14 12 
			 South Central 206 193 89 
			 South Eastern 82 90 56 
			 South Western 69 55 40 
			 South Westminster 255 176 86 
			 Stratford 111 124 65 
			 Sutton 42 21 8 
			 Thames 158 182 113 
			 Waltham Forest 80 44 23 
			 West London 196 113 57 
			 Wimbledon 28 8 6 
			 Total 2,420 2,154 1,171 
			 (1 )Does not include defendant absence through illness or non-production from prison.

Arts Council England

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much of the grant-in-aid to Arts Council England was allocated to theatre between 1997 and 2005;
	(2)  how much of the Arts Council England allocation to subsidised theatre between 1997 and 2005 was paid to  (a) actors,  (b) musicians and  (c) writers;
	(3)  what representations she has received from  (a) theatre managers,  (b) orchestras and  (c) entertainment trade unions regarding the impact of the comprehensive spending review on theatre between 2008 and 2011.

David Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answersI gave him on 18 July 2006,  Official Report,columns 331-32W.

Chance to Shine Campaign

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initial assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Chance to Shine campaign; and if she will extend similar schemes to other sports.

Richard Caborn: The "Chance to Shine" initiative, a£50 million campaign to improve participation in cricket in state schools and run by the Cricket Foundation, has recently issued its first mid-term report.
	In the six weeks since its launch, 33,600 boys and girls have taken part in the schools programme, 7,471 curriculum and extra-curriculum sessions have been delivered and 504 boys and girls in schools involved in the initiative have joined clubs.
	It is anticipated that over the next 10 years, "Chance to Shine" will reach a third of all schools in England and Wales.
	There are no plans to extend the scheme to other sports.

Digital Switchover

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to ensure that proprietors of homes in multiple dwelling units are informed of the necessary steps to upgrade their properties to receive digital television;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to encourage private landlords to upgrade their properties to provide digital television services to their tenants.

Shaun Woodward: The digital switchover programme, led by Digital UK working with Government and Ofcom, has established a dedicated workstream on housing issues. This will make sure the progress in converting communal television systems is tracked and that the right messages go to private and social landlords and to managing agents and other representatives. It will also be important to make sure that tenants are aware of what is happening, something Digital UK will do as part of its wider communications campaigns.
	The housing workstream is supported by a dedicated Housing Stakeholder Group, chaired by Ross Fraser, the chief executive of Housemark and drawn from representatives from the private and social housing sectors, from practitioners, tenants' representatives as well as central and local government.

Football

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Football Association Premier League on ticket pricing.

Richard Caborn: I have not held any discussions with the FA Premier League on ticket pricing.
	The Government have no role in the commercial and sporting operation of professional football. The issue of season tickets prices is a matter between individual clubs and the relevant football authorities.

Gambling

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of turnover in the gambling industry in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the extent to which recent increases in turnover in the gambling industry have been a result of  (a) increasing losses by those taking part in gambling activities and  (b) new participants.

Richard Caborn: The Office of National Statistics publishes data on gambling expenditure (i.e. stakes minus winnings) by UK households. In the last five financial years, expenditure on gambling, including the national lottery, is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 7,216 
			 2002-03 7,773 
			 2003-04 8,695 
			 2004-05 9,826 
			 2005-06 9,807 
		
	
	The Gambling Act 2005, which will be fully implemented from September 2007, introduces a regulatory regime designed to ensure that the industry is crime-free, that gambling is fair, and that children and vulnerable people are properly protected.

Gaming Machines

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to be able to announce her decision regarding the stake and prize levels of category C gaming machines;

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to raise the permitted level of stakes and prizes for category C gaming machines;

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether stakes and prize levels for category C gaming machines are being re-considered.

Richard Caborn: I have had very constructive discussions with the relevant industry organisations and others interested in stake and prize levels for gaming machines and will be making an announcement shortly.

Horse Racing

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  when she will announce her decision on the future of the Horserace Betting Levy after 2009; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether she plans to bring forward measures to vary the provisions of the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 as it relates to the Horserace Betting Levy.

Richard Caborn: No decision has been taken to extend of the Horserace Betting Levy beyond 2009 nor to vary the provisions of the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act, although the matter is under consideration by my Department following the publication of the phase two report of the Future Funding of Racing Review Group, Chaired by Lord Donoughue of Ashton.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what percentage of public libraries were classed as of  (a) good and  (b) excellent standard in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what criteria are used to determine the quality of public libraries.

David Lammy: Different aspects of the performance of the 149 public library authorities in England have been assessed, on different basis, for DCMS since 1998. There was no formal assessment by the Department before then.
	Though the terms "excellent" and "good" have been part of the assessments of public library authority performance carried out for DCMS, there is no direct comparison between these different types of assessments.
	Annual Library Plans were introduced in 1998 to improve the planning processes of library authorities. The scoring methodology was refined over time until they were discontinued in 2002-03 by which time 64 per cent. of authorities were producing plans that were assessed as good or excellent.
	Library position statements were introduced in 2003-04 to assess the extent to which authorities were engaging with key messages that emerged from the Framework for the Future national public library strategy document. Authorities that were assessed as "excellent" in overall Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) terms; or "excellent" in CPA "Leisure and Libraries" terms and "good" overall were exempted from having to provide position statements. Additionally, authorities assessed as having provided an excellent position statement in 2003-04 were exempted from having to produce one in 2004-05. Therefore, there is no straight read across for the two years. However, of those authorities making submissions by the end of 2004-05, 87 per cent. were assessed as having presented good or excellent position statements.
	The Public Library Standards originated in 2001-02 to introduce performance measurement for library authorities in England. They now form part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment Culture Block. The basis of assessment for authorities' performance against the standards has evolved across the period so it is not possible to make straight comparisons. In 2004-05, authorities were assessed on the number of standards they had passed. Details of each of the 149 authorities' performance appear in the Public Library Statistics 2005-06 Estimates and 2004-05 Actuals published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies are held in the House Library.

Libraries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many  (a) books,  (b) audio books,  (c) videos,  (d) computer games and  (e) DVDs were stocked in public libraries in each London borough in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many  (a) books,  (b) audio books,  (c) videos,  (d) DVDs and  (e) computer games have been lent by libraries in each London borough since 1997.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally. However, the Public Library Statistics, published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, contain similar data to that being sought. The House of Commons Library holds copies for the period in question.

Licensing Act

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of a change in the fee structure for premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003 on businesses which have already paid their renewal fees for their premises licence; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Independent Fees Review Panel, chaired by Sir Les Elton, is considering the fee levels and structure and their impact on fee payers andlocal authorities. We will consider carefully any recommendations that the Panel makes when it reports to Ministers in the autumn.
	We have no existing plans to change the fee structure, although we have agreed in principle that there should be a single date for the annual fee. However, before we can set a single date, we will need to consider and consult on transitional arrangements and the options for which date to adopt. Licence holders will be given notice before new arrangements are brought in and should, in the meantime, continue to pay their annual fee on the anniversary of the grant of the licence.

London Olympics

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the project to bury the underground power lines atthe Olympic Park; what lessons have been learned from the project; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: During the Bid period the Government and the Mayor recognised that the timescale for undergrounding the powerlines was such that serious work needed to start in November 2005 if the project was to be completed within an acceptable timescale. Work was set in hand and the London Development Agency was ready to award the contract for undergrounding after we had won the Games. They will shortly transfer the project to the Olympic Delivery Authority. The initial contracts are working well and they expect the project to be completed in line with original targets.

Ministerial Meetings

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties  (a) owned and  (b) managed by the National Trust (i) she, (ii) the Minister for Sport, (iii) the Minister for Culture and (iv) the Minister for Media and Tourism has visited in an official capacity in the last five years.

David Lammy: I have visited the new National Trust offices in Swindon as well as Tyntesfield, the Victorian House and estate near Bristol. My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Minister for Sport and my hon. Friend the Minister for Media and Tourism have not yet had the opportunity to make official visits to properties owned or managed by the National Trust.

Museums

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what budget has been available to museums for acquisitions in each year since 1980.

David Lammy: Museums have a number of sources of funding for acquisitions available to them. These include government funding (be it national or local), self generated income, private donations and grants available from bodies such as the Art Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. We do not keep figures on each of the different funding streams available for all museums.
	The Government do not ring fence acquisition budgets for the cultural institutions that it sponsors. This ceased in 1992 and allows sponsored museums and galleries the freedom to choose how they spend their grant in aid. Overall grant in aid for directly sponsored national museums and galleries increased from £205.17 million in 1997-98 to £314.93 million in 2006-07.
	We are aware of concerns relating to the level of funding museums and galleries have available for acquisitions. We will continue to engage with interested groups, and are always willing to listen to their ideas with regard to acquisitions.

Obesity

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward proposals to require seating at venues open to the public to be increased in size to accommodate obese people; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The Health and Safety Executive publishes guidance on seating in The Event Safety Guide and Guide to fire precautions in existing places of entertainment and like premises.
	For sports grounds, there is no standard allocation of space for a seated person, as such. However, my Department's document Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds does provide guidance on minimum seat widths and seating row depths. The purpose of the document is to give guidance on how to calculate the safe capacity of a sports ground.
	More broadly, my Department, along with the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, is taking joint action to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity amongst children under 11, in the context of tackling obesity in the population as a whole.

Sport England

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many funding applications have been made to Sport England from organisations in Leicester South constituency; and if she will provide details of each application.

Richard Caborn: Sport England does not hold information about funding applications in the required format. Over 900 applications have been made inthe East Midlands region, however, information specifically about the Leicestershire South constituency could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Sport England

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Sport England grants have been awarded to organisations in Leicester South constituency; and if she will provide details of each award.

Richard Caborn: Sport England records show that, since 1995, 14 lottery grants have been awarded to organisations in the Leicester South constituency at a total value of £6,927,625. In addition, the constituency may also have benefited from Community Club Development programme grants of £1,137,889 awarded to organisations throughout Leicestershire.
	Details of the Lottery awards are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Applicant  Purpose  Grant (£) 
			 Leicester Rowing Club Purpose built rowing centre 232,431 
			 Leicestershire county council Highfield Youth and Community Centre-new four court, sports hall and fitness room 1,999,000 
			 International Youth House Project Ltd Community facility incorporating a 27m x 18m sports hall 420,110 
			 Leicester City council Active sports 1,280,093 
			 Leicester City council (Lancaster school) New sports facilities 106,160 
			 Lancaster school School sport coordinator 285,265 
			 Leicester Football Club Plc Spectator safety works and upgrade of security installations 13,135 
			 Leicestershire County Cricket Club Implementation of ticket administration system; alterations to the roof of the pavilion 78,717 
			 Leicestershire County Cricket Club Safer sports ground 15,414 
			 Leicester Football Club Plc Demolition and rebuild 200,000 
			 Leicestershire County Cricket Club Safer sports ground 30,250 
			 Leicester Racial Equality council Female sports activity officer 107,050 
			 Leicester City council New sports centre 2,000,000 
			 Leicester City council Refurbishment of Saffron Lane athletic track 160,000

Television Licences

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in  (a) Houghton and Washington, East constituency and  (b) Sunderland city council area have been in receipt of free television licences in each year since the introduction of free licences for people over 75 years.

Shaun Woodward: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Houghton and Washington, East constituency in 2004-05 was 4,490, according to Department for Work and Pensions records. Winter fuel payment figures for the Sunderland city council area are not available; however, the figure in 2004-05 for the unitary authority of Sunderland was 15,330.

Television Licences

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will introduce a scheme to exempt those staying in respite care from the need to purchase a television licence in addition to the one purchased for their home.

Shaun Woodward: Television licences for respite care arises principally in relation to the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary scheme. As part of BBC Charter Review, the Government re-examined anomalies within the existing concessionary arrangements, with a special focus on the ARC scheme. In the March 2006 White Paper, the Government acknowledged the shortcomings of the scheme but noted that proposals for change focussed on individual anomalies rather than ways to improve the scheme as a whole. Previous changes to correct individual anomalies have done little to improve the scheme as a whole and have tended to create new problems. We therefore have no plans to amend the scheme, nor to introduce a separate concessionary scheme for respite care accommodation.

Television Licences

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussion took place between her Department and the BBC about the decision not to renew the contract for renewal and purchase of television licences supplied at post offices.

Shaun Woodward: The award of the contract was a commercial decision for the BBC as television licensing authority. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not therefore have any discussions with the Corporation about the substance of the decision. However, DCMS officials were briefed by the BBC prior to the Corporation's announcement of the award of the contract on 31 March this year.

Ticket Touting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions were agreed at the Ticket Tout summit on 17 July regarding the charging of administration fees in relation to tickets returned to the original sellers for re-sale at face value; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: At the summit on 17 July, the industry stated their agreement to introduce a returns policy whereby fans can return tickets to the original sellers at face value. There were no specific provisions agreed around charging of administrative fees in relation to these tickets. The returns policy will be implemented by the industry itself and I hope they will take all relevant views into account, especially those of the ticket buying public, when doing this. The industry also agreed to set up a website where fans could sell tickets to other fans at face value.
	At the summit my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I also announced a future DCMS-led public consultation to establish the views of consumers and the industry on ticket sales issues. Other measures announced included further work with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on terms and conditions of ticket sales and the introduction of kite marks for ticket sales websites. The Government also pledged to continue working with the industry and OFT to draw up and overarching code of practice for both primary and secondary ticket sellers.
	Our principle in taking this forward remains that the interests of the consumers are paramount and that our creative, cultural and sporting industries should be able to prosper in a healthy legitimate market.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the tourism deficit in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The UK tourism balance of payments deficit was £18.1 million in 2005. This figure has been produced using a range of data sources including the UK Tourism Survey and the International Data Survey.
	The deficit reflects a range of factors including increased prosperity and the availability of cheap flights. The UK is by no means alone in this regard, indeed in 2003 Germany's deficit stood at over £27 billion.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits.

Shaun Woodward: Domestic tourism represents around 80 per cent. of the turnover of the UK tourism industry. My Department funds VisitBritain to market England to the British, as advised by the England Marketing Advisory Board. £10.4 million a year in grant in aid to VisitBritain is presently allocated for this purpose.
	VisitBritain's domestic marketing activities include the EnglandNet project, which provides comprehensive destination information for both domestic and overseas visitors, with facilities for live booking of accommodation and other services using the websites of VisitBritain's commercial and public sector partners. A total of£10 million has been allocated to EnglandNet to date, including £2 million over the current Spending Review period from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
	My Department also works closely with regional and local government in supporting and promoting domestic tourism, currently contributing £3.6 million a year to the Regional Development Agencies to support tourism in the regions, and £1.9 million a year to the Greater London Authority to support the Mayor's statutory tourism duties.
	Support for the growth of domestic tourism is central to the consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Games, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched on 19 July.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding her Department plans to contribute for  (a) marketing,  (b) e-tourism,  (c) improving the quality of tourism products and  (d) skills and training in connection with achieving the target of £100 billion value for tourism by 2010.

Shaun Woodward: My Department funds VisitBritain to market Britain overseas, and market England to the British and in some European territories as advised by the England Marketing Advisory Board. Grant in aid to VisitBritain under the current Spending Review is in the following table:
	
		
			   Resource  Capital  Total (£000) 
			 2005-06 49,051 300 49,351 
			 2006-07 50,051 300 50,351 
			 2007-08 50,051 300 50,351 
		
	
	My Department also currently contributes£3.6 million a year to the Regional Development Agencies' Single Pot in support of their strategic responsibilities for tourism in the regions, and £1.9 million a year to the Greater London Authority to support the Mayor's statutory tourism duties.
	Marketing including the use of e-tourism, and improvements in product quality and workforce skills, are essential elements of the consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Games, which my RHF the Secretary of State launched on 19 July. In these and other areas, VisitBritain, the development agencies, and the Authority are expected to have major roles in tourism's preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
	The effects of any new work arising from the consultation on VisitBritain's future funding levels cannot be foreseen at this stage. Levels of grant-in-aid from my Department to VisitBritain, the development agencies, and the Authority for years after 2007-08 are yet to be agreed, and are subject to the present Comprehensive Spending Review.
	The consultation also seeks views on the possible effects of the Games opportunity, and of changes in statistical methodology, on my Department's strategic targets for tourism.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government support for the tourism industry was in 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provided support to the tourism industry via grant in aid to VisitBritain of £49.3 million in 2005-06. VisitBritain used this money to market and promote the UK to both the domestic and international markets.
	In addition, DCMS contributed £3.6 million to the regional development agencies' single pot in support of their strategic responsibilities for tourism in the regions.
	A further £1.9 million was allocated to the Greater London Authority to support the Mayor's statutory tourism duties.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to VisitBritain for e-tourism; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: VisitBritain's e-tourism activities are supported by grant in aid from my Department. These activities include the EnglandNet project, to which a total of £10 million has been allocated, including£2 million over the current spending review period from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
	The EnglandNet portal is administered by VisitBritain and fully supported by the regional development agencies, which are providing partnership funding from 2005-06. EnglandNet provides comprehensive destination information for overseas and domestic visitors, with facilities for instant booking of accommodation and other services using the websites of VisitBritain's commercial and public sector partners. The portal took its first live booking in December 2005.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's planned expenditure is on the tourism sector outside London in each of the next three years.

Shaun Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provides support to the tourism industry via grant in aid to VisitBritian (VB). VisitBritian uses this money to market and promote the UK to both the domestic and international markets.
	The level of grant in aid for VB agreed as part of the 2004 Spending Review was as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Resource  Capital  Total 
			 2005-06 49,051 300 49,351 
			 2006-07 50,051 300 50,351 
			 2007-08 50,051 300 50,351 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide details of VBs grant in aid beyond 2007-08, this will be decided following the completion of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.
	In addition, my Department contributes £3.6 million per year to the Regional Development Agencies' Single Pot in respect of their tourism role.

Tourism

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists visited  (a) London and  (b) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: The tables set out the number of visits to London from (i) overseas and (ii) the UK where this included an overnight stay. Information is provided for the 2000 to 2005, equivalent data prior to this are not available.
	
		
			  Inbound visits to London by year 
			   Visit (all) (Thousand) 
			 2000 13,145 
			 2001 11,452 
			 2002 11,603 
			 2003 11,696 
			 2004 13,398 
			 2005 (1)13,893 
			 (1) 2005 data are provisional. Source:International Passenger Survey (ONS). 
		
	
	
		
			  Domestic overnight trips to London by year 
			   Visit (all) (Thousand) 
			 2000 18,500 
			 2001 16,900 
			 2002 16,100 
			 2003 14,300 
			 2004 (1)12,800 
			 2005 (2)10,700 
			 (1) VisitBritain believes the old UKTS methodology significantly underreported 2004.(2) In 2005 an improved methodology was introduced for UKTS therefore direct comparison with previous years is not appropriate. Source:UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards). 
		
	
	In addition, London receives a substantial number of day visitors, the last Leisure Day Visitors Survey in 2002-03 recorded a total of 169 million to the region.
	My Department does not have details of tourist visits to each London borough.

TV Transmitters

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) television transmitters and  (b) relay stations there are in (i) Ceredigion, (ii) Wales and (iii) the UK.

Shaun Woodward: Ceredigion has one transmitter and 13 relays. The main transmitter is at Blaen Plywyf.
	In Wales there are seven transmitters and 202 relays and in the UK there are 51 transmitters and 1,105 relays.

UK School Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what part volunteers will play in the running of the 2006 UK School Games in Glasgow;
	(2)  if she will list the applicants who submitted tenders to run the UK School Games for 2007 to 2011; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether the Youth Sports Trust has subcontracted any part of the running of the UK School Games for 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The selection of an operator to organise the UK School Games for 2006 and for 2007-11, and the subsequent grant of National Lottery money was a matter for the Millennium Commission. In my capacity as Chair of the Commission, I will write to you on this matter and arrange for copies of my reply to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Visitor Attractions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of visitors to  (a) the Avebury monuments,  (b) Bowood House,  (c) Corsham Court,  (d) Lacock Abbey,  (e) Iford Manor,  (f) Longleat,  (g) Stourhead,  (h) Old Wardour Castle and  (i) Silbury Hill in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The Department does not hold estimates of the number of visitors to Bowood House, Corsham Court, Lacock Abbey, Iford Manor, Longleat or Stourhead.
	The Avebury Monuments, including Silbury Hill, have free access and it is difficult to gain an accurate estimate of the number of visitors due to the nature of the site. A survey held by Bournemouth University in 1996-1998 gave an approximate figure of 350,000 a year. Data for 1999-2000, gives an annual figure of 342,000 and 276,600 for the year 2004-05.
	Visitor figures for the English Heritage property of Old Wardour Castle is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1996-97 28,051 
			 1997-98 24,838 
			 1998-99 23,345 
			 1999-2000 28,375 
			 2000-01 19,863 
			 2001-02 22,084 
			 2002-03 28,375 
			 2003-04 32,011 
			 2004-05 29,380 
			 2005-06 26,470

Advertising Campaigns

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what advertising campaigns her Department ran between 2000 and June 2004; and what the  (a) date and  (b) cost was of each.

Patrick McFadden: Significant advertising campaigns in support of specific policies are managed centrally through Cabinet Office Communication Group and placed through the Central Office of Information (COI).
	Details of advertising costs are shown in the table which reflects expenditure for financial years 2000-01 to 2003-04.
	Cabinet Office systems are not sufficiently structured to provide accurate Cabinet Office recruitment advertising information prior to 1 April 2004.
	Cabinet Office is also responsible for the advertising and filling of Fast Stream vacancies across the civil service, the advertising data for this is only available from 2001.
	
		
			   Dates  Budget/spend 
			  2000-01   
			 Chartermark March 2001 34,996 
			
			  2001-02   
			 UK-Online November 2001- January 2002 2,491,500 
			 Foot and Mouth Teletext October 2001 48,263 
			 Fast Stream Recruitment Throughout year 104,000 
			
			  2002-03   
			 Fast Stream Recruitment Throughout year 89,000 
			
			  2003-04   
			 UK online "Get Started" May-June 1,000,000 
			 Fast Stream Recruitment Throughout year 67,000

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average cost to her Department was of replying to a letter written (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down into (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

Geoff Hoon: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performanceof departments in replying to hon. Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006 (col. 76ws-78ws).
	The information requested is not recorded and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Drugs Trade

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2002,  Official Report, column 625, on the drugs trade, when she will place in the Library the details of the Afghan poppy eradication programme, maps and a video.

Kim Howells: I apologise that we have, to date, been unable to locate the material to which my hon. Friend refers. As my hon. Friend will know, officials are in the process of searching archived records from 2002 and will provide any relevant material as soon as theyare able.

East Timor

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2006,  Official Report, column 931W, on East Timor, what assessment she has made of whether acts of violence in Timor-Leste in 1999  (a) constituted crimes against humanity,  (b) were planned by the Indonesian military and  (c) were undertaken in opposition to the US mission sanctioned by Indonesia.

Ian McCartney: We have no record of any independent detailed assessment of these issues. However, the UN-established serious crimes unit was mandated to investigate crimes against humanity and other serious crimes committed in East Timor in 1999 and issued a number of indictments against people who were serving in the Indonesian military at that time. A parallel process, the Commission for Reception, Reconciliation and Truth (CAVR) was set up by East Timor to look at less serious offences. The CAVR report found that human rights abuses were committed by Indonesian security forces. These human rights abuses were clearly contrary to the aims of the UN Mission to East Timor.

Khmer Insurgents (British Training)

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to the letter of23 December 2005, (your ref: 967/05: Freedom of Information), promising a response as a matter of urgency to the letter from the hon. Member for Sunderland South of 25 November 2005, on British training of Khmer insurgents in the 1980s, when she expects to reply.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is conducting an internal review of its handling of my hon. Friend's Freedom of Information request and hopes to provide a substantive response within one month.

Southern Iraq Donor Group

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) remit and  (b) membership is of the Southern Iraq Donor Group; how often it meets; what its goals are; how its performance is measured; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	The Southern Iraq Donor Group's (SIDG) goal is to improve the co-ordination of donors in the region and to create the necessary relationships to ensure good communication.
	SIDG meets in Basra once or twice a month. The meetings are co-ordinated and chaired by the United Nations. Although no fixed membership exists, most of the international actors in Southern Iraq—both military and civilian—attend the meetings including, for example, the US State Department, the United States agency for International Development (USAID), Multi-National Division (South East), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), the US Military Corps of Engineers and the Danish Office. Not only is DFID one of the founders of the group, but it remains a member.
	The outcomes of workshops, implications of policy decisions and the impact of visits to Basra are all discussed, as well as any future joint projects and workshops that donors agree on.
	As for the performance of the SIDG, there is consensus among participants that it has been very effective in bringing donors together and hasimproved co-ordination both of programmes and communications.

Timor-Leste

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 315W, on East Timor, in what ways the joint UK-Australian police training initiative will augment past UN police training of forces in Timor-Leste; and what measures are in place to ensure integration of the UK-Australian initiative with the existing UN operation in Timor-Leste.

Ian McCartney: The UK-Australian Timor-Leste Police Development programme (TLPDP) has been running since July 2004. The programme is designed to strengthen the capacity of the East Timorese police service to maintain law and order effectively and professionally with full respect for human rights. The TLPDP complements other past and current police training undertaken by the UN and bilaterally. The programme has had a number of successes, including the design of a new curriculum at the police academy to incorporate human rights materials throughout. It produced its first batch of East Timorese trainers in November 2005, who were able to graduate their first basic recruit course of 260 new personnel earlier this year. The TLPDP recently received a favourable mention in the 2006 human rights watch report. Discussions have been held with the UN assessment team to look at how the work of TLPDP might complement that of the new UN policing activity in East Timor.

Advertising Campaigns

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of Statefor International Development what advertising campaigns the Department has run between 2000 and June 2004; and what the  (a) date and  (b) cost was of each.

Gareth Thomas: DFID did not have any major advertising campaigns during this period, and any activities which might be categorised as advertising were not disaggregated from programme activity and spend across DFID during this period. To undertake information gathering to separate out such costs would incur disproportionate costs. The main advertising costs incurred during this period were for recruitment advertising and is listed as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend (£) 
			 2000-01 751,972 
			 2001-02 1,208,192 
			 2002-03 914,571 
			 2003-04 849,196

AIDS/ Tuberculosis /Malaria Global Fund

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the progress of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Gareth Thomas: The mid-term review of the first replenishment of the Global Fund took place on4-6 July. The review highlighted that the Global Fund is demonstrating significant progress against key targets, is improving grant performance, especially in weak systems and fragile states, and is implementing the recommendations of the Global Task Team on improving AIDS co-ordination among multilateral institutions and international donors.
	To date, a total of US $8.9 billion has been pledged and/or contributed to the Global Fund through to 2008. As of 1 June 2006, the Global Fund had approved a total of US $5.4 billion to nearly 400 grants in 131 countries. Of the US $5.4 billion approved, US $2.3 billion has been disbursed to public and private recipients in 127 countries and to date, 89 per cent. of approved grants have signed grant agreements. Results achieved so far include:
	544,000 people on antiretroviral treatment
	1.43 million received tuberculosis treatment
	11.3 million insecticide-treated bed nets distributed
	7.3 million people treated for malaria
	5.7 million people received HIV counselling and testing
	560,000 orphans provided with basic care and support.
	However, the Global Fund continues to face many challenges, including aligning its programs with country priorities and planning processes, and generating sufficient long-term resources from a more diverse donor base to meet its future needs.
	The Global Fund's revised resource needs for 2006 and 2007 is US $5.5 billion. There is a current funding gap of US $2.1 billion for this period, of which, US $0.7 billion is needed to fund round 6 of new grants that will be approved in November 2006.

Cholera

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of outbreaks of cholera in  (a) Southern Sudan and  (b) Southern Africa.

Hilary Benn: In South Sudan, an ongoing cholera epidemic has resulted in 16,964 reported cases of the disease, with 504 deaths. Of these, 6,163 cases and 116 deaths have been in Juba. The international response, working in partnership with the Sudanese Ministry of Health, has recently made good progress in bringing the outbreak under control in the South. Over the last week in Juba, for instance, there were only 10 new cases and no deaths reported. There continue to be new cases reported in some parts of the South but the response has become increasingly effective in containing these and treating those infected, according to DFID's humanitarian partners.
	The UN Common Humanitarian Fund in Sudan, to which the UK is the largest donor with £49 million this year, has played a key role in funding the international and local response to the cholera outbreak in the South, through UN agencies and NGOs.
	In Angola, a widespread cholera epidemic has been ongoing since mid-February, when the first case of cholera was reported in the Boa Vista slum area of Luanda. Due primarily to heavy rains, and poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, the epidemic spread rapidly to the other municipalities and then to neighbouring provinces (Benguela, Bengo, Kuanza Norde, Malanje, Huambom, Namibe and Bie).
	Even though the epidemic has calmed considerably from its peak at the beginning of May, when more than 500 cases were being reported per day, it continues to result in 100 new cases per day across the country. By July 11, the Angolan Ministry of Health reported a total of 49,620 cases of cholera and 2,040 deaths since mid-February, making it the most serious outbreak ever to have affected Angola.
	DFID has provided £200,000 to Medecins Sans Frontieres to help combat the epidemic in Angola, and is currently supporting UNICEF with a grant of£3.5 million to tackle some of the root causes of Angola's vulnerability to cholera outbreaks, including the poorest's access to primary health care, safe water and sanitation.

Developing Countries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department will assist in strengthening  (a) biodiversity,  (b) the ecosystem and  (c) conservation services in developing countries.

Hilary Benn: DFID is committed to incorporating biodiversity into development in helping to improve poor people's livelihoods and in supporting developing countries to use the benefits of biodiversity and conservation to reduce poverty.
	Our major contribution to international biodiversity conservation is made through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The GEF provides grants and concessional funds to help developing countries fund projects and programmes for sustainable management of the global environment. One third of the GEF's funds are spent on biodiversity and it is the financial mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The UK is currently the fourth largest donor, contributing £118 million in the third replenishment period (2002-05). We are working to ensure a successful fourth replenishment.
	DFID recognises that biodiversity and the ecosystems it supports have a significant contribution to make towards poverty alleviation. However, the links between biodiversity, ecosystems and poverty often remain poorly understood. DFID is involved in a number of initiatives to develop a better understanding of mechanisms to capture the value of biodiversity and ecosystems.
	For instance, DFID is currently working to develop a collaborative research programme on Ecosystem Services and Poverty with the Nature Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Biodiversity will be a sub-theme within this programme.
	DFID is also one of the key contributors to the Ecosystems Marketplace. It serves as a one-stop shop for information on ecosystem service markets where providers and beneficiaries of ecosystem services can get together. More information is available at: http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/. Additionally, DFID has engaged in a collaborative research project with the UK's fourth largest fund manager—ISIS Asset Management—to examine the nature of the relationship between biodiversity and business and the associated risks.
	As well as these initiatives, DFID works to ensures that its development assistance does not contribute to damage to ecosystems. Environmental Screening, mandatory for all DFID assistance greater than£1 million, identifies environmental risks and opportunities. We are currently reviewing Environmental Screening experience since 2003. This will consider compliance with procedures and the quality of screening.
	We also work to ensure that there is a coherent Government approach to international biodiversity. To achieve this, an Inter-departmental Ministerial Group on Biodiversity (IDMGB), comprising DFID, the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers has been established.

Developing Countries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department work on  (a) climate change and  (b) other environmental issues in developing countries, based(i) in the UK and (ii) abroad.

Hilary Benn: Implementing DFID's environment policy involves a range of staff, including programme managers and advisers with environment, livelihoods and infrastructure responsibilities.
	DFID has 18 specialist environment posts working on climate change and environment. Of these, 12 are full-time environment posts; and six combine environment with other responsibilities, such as livelihoods or infrastructure.
	In the UK, the Sustainable Development Group in Policy Division is home to ten specialist environment and natural resource posts split between three teams:
	Global Environmental Assets (covering climate change, biodiversity, desertification etc.);
	Environment for Sustainable Development (local environmental issues and minerals); and
	Water and Energy.
	Policy work on agriculture (including fisheries and forestry) is carried out by the Renewable Natural Resources and Agriculture team in Policy Division's Growth and Investment Group.
	On environment in developing countries, Asia Division has a regional adviser based in the UK and advisers in China, India and Bangladesh. Africa Division has two regional advisers based in UK and one adviser based in Kenya.
	In addition to its environment specialists, many of DFID's livelihoods and infrastructure advisers have relevant background or qualifications for working on environmental issues. Ten out of 38 infrastructure advisers have formal environmental professional qualifications e.g. Institution of Water and Environmental Management. Over half of our livelihoods advisers have natural resources qualifications and experience (e.g. soil science, forestry). Each group is lead by a head of profession. The head of profession environment post is currently filled on an acting basis but we will be advertising shortly. DFID's chief scientific adviser has been providing support on climate change and agriculture. This role has been formalised in his work plan for 2006-07.

Developing Countries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department allocated to tackling diseases in developing countries in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by disease.

Gareth Thomas: DFID uses a range of different aid instruments, from direct support to countries to funding through multilateral agencies. It is therefore not possible to break down spending on individual communicable diseases; however it is possible to separate out AIDS from other communicable diseases.
	DFID's spend on communicable diseases apart from AIDS in 2004-05 was £80 million. Recording AIDS-specific expenditure is difficult because there are a range of sectors which have an impact on the epidemic, including health, education, social development and good government. There are also a range of instruments used to channel AIDS-related development spending. DFID has been working with the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and others to review and improve these expenditure calculations. While refinements to the methodology are still in progress, DFID has reported a provisional bilateral expenditure of £350 million on AIDS for the period 2004-05.
	The focus of our work in health is to help countries strengthen their health systems both to prevent and mitigate the impact of communicable diseases. Functioning systems are crucial for effectively tackling diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and vaccine preventable disease epidemics as well as HIV, TB and malaria. In 2004-05, the UK provided more than£360 million to support health services through our country, regional and research programmes and provided a further £110 million for health through multilateral assistance to World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN agencies.
	The UK also provides general poverty reduction budget support to countries to help build basic services, including for health. We are supporting a number of innovative financing mechanisms to increase resources to tackle communicable diseases. For example, the International Finance Facility for Immunisation will raise an additional £4 billion from a number of donors for vaccines for the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisations and help support the development of new vaccines for communicable diseases that can be prevented.

Food Security (Africa)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the food security situation in  (a) Southern Africa,  (b) the Horn of Africa and  (c) Western Africa.

Hilary Benn: In Southern Africa, the overall picture on food production shows a marked improvement this year compared to the 2004-05 growing season, when DFID spent more than £67 million to deliver emergency assistance to up to 11 million affected people. Urgent humanitarian needs are unlikely this year, except in Zimbabwe, where needs remain pronounced.
	Malawi and Zambia are reporting excellent harvests this year, with projected maize production figures for both countries almost double the volumes recorded in 2005. This should feed into more stable prices and improved access in the coming months. Production in South Africa has decreased sharply this year—a result of depressed prices in 2005 in the domestic market—but carryover stocks from last year are high. The food security outlook for the coming year is worst in Zimbabwe. Although food production is up on last year's levels, more than 1 million Zimbabweans still require sustained assistance to help them meet their food requirements.
	In West Africa, the food security situation is improved compared to 2005, although continuing humanitarian concerns persist, particularly in the Sahel. In Niger, where populations continue to struggle against the legacies of last year's crisis, up to1.8 million people are currently facing acute difficulties in the ongoing hungry season, with up to 400,000 malnourished children expected to require nutritional therapy this year. In Mauritania, the hungry season is judged to have started early, with up to 400,000 facing acute levels of food-insecurity, particularly in the south. DFID currently has an ongoing humanitarian and hunger-related programme of assistance for the Sahel worth £4 million this year.
	Prospects for recovery in the Sahel this year appear compromised by erratic, late-starting and below average rains for the current agricultural season. Elsewhere in West Africa, localised problems of food-insecurity affecting relatively few people (particularly in Guinea and Guinea Buissau) are the exception to an otherwise positive prognosis, with good rainfall expected to lead to an above-average maize crop in August.
	In the Horn of Africa, DFID shares the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (UN FAO)'s recent assessment that despite improved rains in eastern Africa, food security remains poor among some communities in particular in northern and eastern Kenya, and in Somalia in many of the same areas affected by drought in 2005. In Kenya, overall prospects for the current main cereal crop are favourable, but in Somalia, the outlook is poor and output is expected to be reduced for the third consecutive year. In Eritrea, the picture is mixed. In Ethiopia, the prospects are generally good apart from in parts of the south east. The UN estimates that7.5 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in drought-affected areas. In each of these countries high levels of malnutrition and starvation have been demonstrated among children over the past year. The areas and communities where this occurs should be the priority for food aid assistance, and humanitarian assistance more generally. DFID has committed more than £46 million of humanitarian assistance to the response since the end of 2005.

Java

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has given the Java island following the tsunami; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not provided any assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Central and West Java because the Government of Indonesia has stated thatit does not require international assistance. The Indonesian Minister of People's Welfare has provided 750 million Indonesian Rupiah (80 million US Dollars) to the local government in Ciasmis, West Java and250 million Indonesian Rupiah (27 million US Dollars) to the local government in Cilacap, Central Java for their emergency response.
	DFID staff in Jakarta and London continue to monitor the situation and are ready to provide assistance if it is needed.

Lebanon

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was granted to Lebanon in each of the last five years; and how these funds were allocated.

Hilary Benn: The UK channels most of its aid to Lebanon through the EC and the UN. The multilateral figures are based on UK core contributions to theEC and the UN. The UK has also provided some bilateral support to Lebanon, largely through the 'Small Grants scheme' administered by the Foreignand Commonwealth Office.
	
		
			   Multilateral (£ million)   Bilateral, (£ million)   
			   EC  UN  Total multilateral  Grants and other aid in kind  Humanitarian assistance  Total bilateral  Grand total 
			 2000-01 5.4 4.1 9.4 0.23 0.407 0.636 10.08 
			 2001-02 1.1 5.3 6.4 0.111 0 0.111 6.48 
			 2002-03 1.8 4.5 6.2 0.232 0 0.232 6.45 
			 2003-04 3.7 4.2 7.9 0.102 0 0.102 8.04 
			 2004-05 6.9 7.9 14.8 0.297 0 0.297 15.06 
		
	
	Over the last five years, DFID has also made significant contributions to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon including through the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) (£4.2 million this year). UNRWA's activities supporting mainly the basic needs of Palestinian refugees providing camp facilities, health, education and food aid and job creation activities.
	The World Bank also maintains a significant loan portfolio in Lebanon, but this in not concessional and therefore does not qualify as aid.

Middle East (Project Funding)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of Statefor International Development what projects his Department is funding in  (a) Sudan,  (b) Lebanon,  (c) Israel and  (d) Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: We are supporting the following projects and activities in Sudan:
	 Humanitarian projects
	UN-managed Common Humanitarian Fund, plus support for UN sector co-ordination
	Humanitarian programmes of Non Governmental Organisations
	International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
	 Development projects
	World Bank-managed Multi Donor Trust Funds (National and South), plus consultancy support
	Basic Services Fund for Southern Sudan
	United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Local Government Recovery project
	Safety, Security and Access to Justice programme (Southern Sudan)
	Christian Aid: National Strategy
	Capacity Building for Government of Southern Sudan
	UNICEF: Support for Strengthening Water Sector Capacity in Southern Sudan
	Malaria Consortium National Response
	Ockenden International: Partnership for Peace
	Capacity building for Debt Management
	Rift Valley Institute
	GOAL: Female Literacy and Empowerment
	Scholarships programme
	UNDP: Strategic Partnership Arrangement
	Support for UN/ World Bank Darfur needs assessment
	BBC World Service Trust: Darfur Lifeline Radio
	Tufts Institute: Research on livelihoods in Darfur
	 Peace building
	PACT: Southern Sudanese Pre-Interim Transition to Peace
	UNDP : Support for Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration ( DDR)
	Security Sector Adviser
	International Military Advisers Team
	Peace Building Fund
	Support for East Sudan Talks
	Support for Africa Union information campaign
	Support for the Africa Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS)
	Responding to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, and working to underpin the Comprehensive and the Darfur Peace Agreements are among DFID's top priorities. This is reflected in the projects that DFID is supporting.
	DFID does not fund any projects in Israel. The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), run jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and DFID, is funding the following projects in or involving Israel:
	Peace Now Settlement Watch
	Ir Amin—Advocacy project on the status of Jerusalem
	Economic Co-operation Foundation—Gaza Disengagement
	Council for Peace and Security—Advocacy work on Israeli separation
	HaMoKed/B'Tselem—Freedom of movement for Palestinians
	Palestinian media activities in support of the Roadmap (joint GCPP/USAID)
	Ah Hoc Liaison Committee
	EXACT—Management of Shared Water Resources to Reduce Pollution Risks
	DFID has no bilateral programme with Lebanon or Syria but GCPP currently funds one project in Lebanon.
	Police and Justice Sector Reform—Training courses for the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.

Millennium Development Goals

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department measures progress against the Millennium Development Goals in relation to countries where data on performance in key sectors is missing or incomplete.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 18 July 2006
	DFID uses international data from the World Bank andthe United Nations to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the countries in which it has a programme. It is not possible to assess progress towards the MDGs in countries where data on performance in key sectors is missing or incomplete. In such countries, DFID will identify other ways to measure progress. For example, DFID might use targets contained in partner government national strategies as the basis on which progress is assessed. In some countries, sample surveys conducted through DFID projects or by other agencies provide useful data on which assessments of progress can be made.
	DFID is working with many partner countries and with international institutions to improve the quality of the data that are available to measure progress, so that the number of cases of incomplete or missing data are reduced. This includes working with the PARIS 21 (Partnerships in Statistics for Development for the21st Century) consortium of donors, partner countries and multilateral agencies to raise awareness of the problems linked to inadequate statistics.

Pharmaceuticals (Developing Nations)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the classification of returned medicines under the Hazardous Waste Regulationson the provision of pharmaceutical treatments to developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: When returned medicines have been sent abroad to developing countries in the past, they have caused a number of problems in receiving countries. This has been because of quality and labelling issues, the medicines were not always the ones wanted, and the cost of sorting and then disposing of the useless products.
	The classification of mixed, returned medicines as waste will provide a barrier to the export of unwanted, poor quality and mislabelled drugs and medicines to developing countries. It also encourages the rigorous inspection and sorting of these wastes, so that properly labelled, quality-assured medicines can be separated out and sent to those developing countries that need them.

Somalia

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) humanitarian and  (b) security situation in Somalia.

Hilary Benn: We keep the humanitarian situation in Somalia under constant review. There have been a number of assessment visits this year with DFID participation, and I visited the drought-affected area around Wajid myself in May.
	The main concern remains the effect of the drought in some areas of the South. The conflict in Mogadishu and beyond between Somali warlords and Islamic Courts, which now threatens to involve others, is also having humanitarian repercussions as people's lives are disrupted by the fighting. It appears that for the time being, Mogadishu is no longer contested and that people are now able to go about their business more freely. The UN estimates that approximately 1.7 million people require relief assistance in Somalia. The main rains have been better than last year, but still a long way short of the quantities and distribution neededto produce a satisfactory harvest and recovery ofpasture. The UK is currently the second biggestdonor of humanitarian assistance having committed £13.2 million since the onset of the drought. This includes support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who are providing drought relief assistance and directly addressing the effects of the previous fighting in Mogadishu where they run hospitals treating the wounded.
	The security situation in Somalia is extremely fragile. The past few months have seen heavy fighting in Mogadishu. With the Islamic Courts' victory over the warlords, the situation in the city appears to have largely stabilised. However, there is a continued threat of conflict between the Transitional Federal Government based in Baidoa and the Islamic Courts which could destabilise the whole country and region, and draw in regional states. We are urging all national and regional parties to show restraint and commit themselves to resolve the situation through dialogue. We strongly support continuation of the Arab League sponsored dialogue between the Transitional Federal Institutions and the Islamic Courts in Khartoum.
	The northern parts of Somalia remain relatively stable.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to tackle the shortage of water in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: Water access and management are root causes of the conflict in Darfur DFID's expenditurefor water and sanitation in Sudan is approximately£17 million per year, which accounts for approximately half of DFID's total water and sanitation expenditure in Africa. The bulk of these funds are provided as humanitarian support channelled through the Common Humanitarian Fund and NGOs. We are also providing direct support to UNICEF, which is a key donor for the water sector.
	Water will be a core issue for the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed in early May 2006. A UN/World Bank-led Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) was launched in June to plan the recovery and development process for Darfur. Water will be an important issue that they will consider when formulating their plans, which will be presented to donors at a pledging conference in October. The UK has provided technical experts for the JAM and £360,000 for its administration costs. The JAM's conclusions will shape our future support for Darfur. We stand ready to be a major partner in its recovery and development.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will assess the outcome of the Brussels Conference on Darfur; and what additional resources have been pledged.

Hilary Benn: The EU estimates that at least$186 million was pledged to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) at a Donors' Conference in Brussels on 18 July, though they are still finalising the total figure. This is a very creditable result. The UK re-affirmed its pledge of 20 million for AMIS for this financial year. We stand ready to go on pressing others to contribute more should it prove necessary.

Technical Assistance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of Statefor International Development what funding his Department  (a) has allocated in each of the last three financial years and  (b) plans to allocate in each of the next three financial years to technical assistance.

Hilary Benn: Technical assistance is the provision of know-how in the form of personnel, training, research and associated costs.
	
		
			  Expenditure on technical assistance for last three years is as follows: 
			  £000 
			  Category of Technical Assistance (TA)  2002-03  As percentage of total TA  2003-04  As percentage of total TA  2004-05  As percentage of total TA 
			 Consultancies 221,984 40 215,321 45 218,871 46 
			 Training and Scholarships 29,400 5 23,123 5 24,355 5 
			 Knowledge and Research 217,059 39 185,283 38 169,162 36 
			 Other 89,540 16 58,321 12 62,887 13 
			 Total Technical Assistance 557,983 — 482,048 — 475,275 — 
		
	
	The final statistics for 2005-06 will be published in "Statistics on International Development 2006" in October 2006.
	Future plans for DFID spending are set out in Annex 1, Table 4 of DFID's latest Departmental Report, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. We do not set planning figures for Technical Assistance.

UN Central Emergency Response Fund

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding has been pledged to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund for 2007 by  (a) the UK,  (b) the EU and  (c) G8 countries.

Hilary Benn: The UK has disbursed £40 millionto the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for year 2006. The UK has pledged a further £40 million per annum for the next three years (ie in total the UK will provide £160 million over four years).
	The European Commission has made no commitments to the CERF. A number of European Union member states have made commitments for 2006. They are: UK £40 million/$70 million,Sweden $41 million, Netherlands $24 million, Ireland $12 million, Spain $10 million, Denmark $8.5 million, Finland $4.7 million, Luxembourg $4 million, France $1.2 million, Belgium $1.2 million, Portugal $254,000, Poland $250,000, Greece $100,000, Estonia $24,000, and Slovenia $10,000. The UK is the only EU member state to have announced commitments beyond the current year.
	Five G8 countries have made commitments tothe CERF. For this year the commitments are: UK£40 million/$70 million, Canada $17 million, Japan $7.5 million, France $1.2 million. The US has committed $5 million for fiscal year 2006 and$5 million for fiscal year 2007. The UK is the only other G8 country to have announced commitments beyond the current year.

UN Central Emergency Response Fund

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his G8 counterparts on their  (a) current and  (b) planned contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

Hilary Benn: During the development of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), my officials andI had discussions with various G8 countries at bilateral and international meetings and by telephone. Five G8 members—UK, Canada, US, Japan and France have committed funds to the CERF and I continue to encourage other countries to contribute.
	At the launch of DFID's Humanitarian Policy atthe British Red Cross Headquarters on 7 June, I announced future UK funding commitments to the CERF. On top of the £40 million provided this year, I have pledged a further £40 million per annum for the next three years (i.e. in total the UK will provide£160 million over four years). I hope this will encourage others to commit future funding, and I will raise this issue with other G8 countries at appropriate opportunities.

Water

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on assistance on water provision in cities in the developing world since 1997.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 19 July 2006
	DFID commissioned an independent report on its expenditure on water and sanitation in the developing world. This report, "Financial Support to the Water Sector", was produced by Atkins Consultants and is publicly available at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/water-sector-finance.pdf. Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, in response to previous related parliamentary questions.
	The report presents a breakdown of expenditure by region, country and theme. In 2001-02, the first year for which an urban/rural breakdown is available,£35.8 million of DFID's bilateral water expenditure was spent on 'Urban water supply and sanitation'. In subsequent years there was a shift to rural activities. Bilateral urban water and sanitation expenditurewas £29 million in 2003-04. A proportion of DFID's contributions to multilateral, civil society organisations and Poverty Reduction Budget Support will also be spent on water provision in developing world cities, but it is not possible to break this expenditure down by theme.
	An update of the report, with details of expenditure for 2004-05 and 2005-06 will be published in autumn 2006.

Airbus Consortium

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in states in the Airbus consortium; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, met his counterparts at a meeting at the Farnborough Air Show on 17 July. A copy of the communiqué issued at that meeting is as follows:
	 Airbus Ministerial Meeting at Farnborough International Air Show 2006, Monday 17 July
	Communiqué text:
	The Ministers of France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom responsible for the civil aerospace industry held their regular meeting at the Farnborough International Air Show on Monday 17 July 2006.
	The meeting was chaired by Alistair DARLING MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Also presentwere Dominique PERBEN, French Minister for Transport, Equipment, Tourism and the Sea; Georg Wilhelm ADAMOWITSCH, German State Secretary for Economics; Jose MONTILLA, Spanish Minister for Industry, Tourism and Trade; and Margaret HODGE MP, British Minister for Industry and the Regions. The industry was represented by Christian STREIFF, and the representatives of the Airbus shareholder committee, Thomas ENDERS, Louis GALLOIS and Francisco FERNANDEZ SAINZ for EADS and Mike TURNER for BAE Systems Plc. The Ministers offered their best wishes to the new management team of Airbus and EADS.
	Airbus made a presentation on the status of the A380 including an explanation of the industrial issues that have led to some delay in the delivery schedule for the aircraft and the steps Airbus is taking to remedy the situation. Ministers noted this presentation and expressed their confidence in the ability of Airbus management to address these industrial issues and in the commercial success of the A380 programme.
	The Ministers welcomed Airbus' response to the market and its intention to launch an all-new family of widebody aircraft. The Ministers confirmed their commitment to support the European aerospace industry. They reaffirmed their agreement to support Airbus to continue to innovate and to develop programmes in the context of international competition.
	The Ministers once again expressed their desire for a negotiated solution to the current WTO dispute, but stressed the need for a balanced outcome regarding support for both current and future programmes so as to ensure a level playing field.

Area Assistance

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his Department's paper of10 July 2006 on the Review of UK Assisted Areas Stage 2—The Government's response and draft assisted areas map, what average  (a) level of manufacturing share of employment,  (b) claimant rate of incapacity benefit,  (c) employment rate and  (d) level of adult skills at level 2 and above in (i) Great Britain, (ii) each ward of Scottish Borders council area, (iii) each ward of Dumfries and Galloway council area and (iv) each ward of Berwick borough council area were used to assess future eligibility for assistance; and what the (A) half a standard deviation and (B) full standard deviation (1) above and (2) below the Great Britain average are.

Margaret Hodge: The data for Great Britain, including wards in the Scottish Border council, Dumfries and Galloway council and Berwick borough council areas are available from the sources specified. The description gives a full definition of the data used in prioritising assisted area coverage in the Draft Map, including the thresholds related to the Great Britain average and standard deviation. The Department will place this information on its website, at
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/regional/assisted-areas/assisted-areas-review/page24618.html.
	Data have been built up from ward level, using census area statistics wards (2003 CAS wards). Where possible, averages of the three most recent years' data have been used.
	 Employment rate
	Ward level data from 2001 census have been used—working age population in employment (ILO definition) divided by total working age population (Source: NOMIS).
	To construct more recent estimates, numeratorshave been factored by local authority estimates of employment rate, using four-quarterly averages from the labour force survey (Source: NOMIS). The base year is taken as March 2001 to February 2002. A three-year average has been taken of these derived estimates, using the years March 2002 to February 2003, March 2003 to February 2004 and March 2004 to February 2005.
	The Great Britain average on this basis was 69.2 per cent. with a standard deviation of 6.4 per cent. Therefore the thresholds for eligibility of a zone were:
	half a standard deviation: employment rate less than 66.0 per cent.
	one standard deviation: employment rate less than 62.8 per cent.
	 Adult skills at level 2 or above
	Ward level data from 2001 census have been used—working age population with NVQ Level 2 qualification (or equivalent) or higher, divided by total working age population (Source: NOMIS).
	To construct more recent estimates, numerators have been factored by local authority estimates of working age Level 2+ skills rate, using the local area labour force survey (Source: NOMIS). The base year is taken as March 2001—February 2002. A three-year average has been taken of these derived estimates, using the years March 2001 to February 2002, March 2002 to February 2003 and March 2003 to February 2004.
	The Great Britain average on this basis was 52.2 per cent. with a standard deviation of 7.5 per cent. Therefore the thresholds for eligibility of a zone were:
	half a standard deviation: Level 2+ skills rate less than48.5 per cent.
	one standard deviation: Level 2+ skills rate less than 44.8 per cent
	 Incapacity Benefit claimants
	Administrative data are available at ward level from the Department of Work and Pensions. The series used includes both incapacity benefit claimants and severe disablement allowance claimants. The claimant count denominator has been used (Source: NOMIS).
	A three-year average has been taken, using data from November 2003, November 2004 and November 2005.
	The Great Britain average on this basis was 7.9 per cent. with a standard deviation of 3.4 per cent. Therefore the thresholds for eligibility of a zone were:
	half a standard deviation: IB claimant rate greater than9.7 per cent.
	one standard deviation: IB claimant rate greater than 11.4 per cent.
	 Manufacturing share of employment
	Data are taken from the Annual Business Inquiry employee analysis (Source: NOMIS). Rates are constructed as employment in Manufacturing (Standard Industrial Classification code D) divided by employment in all industrial sectors.
	Only two years' data are available for 2003 CAS wards. Therefore a two-year average has been taken, using data from 2003 and 2004.
	The Great Britain average on this basis was 12.3 per cent. with a standard deviation of 5.9 per cent. Therefore the thresholds for eligibility of a zone were:
	half a standard deviation: manufacturing share of employment greater than 15.3 per cent.
	one standard deviation: manufacturing share of employment greater than18.2 per cent.
	 Sources:
	All data used are publicly available. Data can be obtained through the following websites:
	NOMIS
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/
	Department of Work and Pensions
	http://www.dwp. gov.uk/asd/tabtool. asp
	General Register Office for Scotland (for Scottish Census data)
	http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/censushm/index .html

Bank and Shop Closures

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the closure of post offices, bank branches and independent retail shops in Nottingham Southand in the East Midlands on the  (a) frequency,  (b) distance and  (c) mode of transport of journeys by customers; and what assessment he has made ofthe impact of such closures on the level of (i) environmental emissions and (ii) traffic congestion.

Margaret Hodge: All local transport authorities are required to develop plans, termed Accessibility Strategies, to ensure that citizens have ease of access to facilities and amenities in their area. These are part of the Local Transport Plan process and Accessibility Strategies were submitted to Department for Transport as part of the second round of Local Transport Plans in March 2006.
	Department for Transport issued guidance tolocal transport authorities in December 2004 that highlighted food and essential services such as supermarkets, post offices and banks as being destinations that local transport authorities should consider as part of the process. Authorities were asked to prioritise the analysis of, and actions to promote, accessibility to these local services alongside other destinations such as access to employment. Accessibility Strategies contain a forward programme of analysis and action based on this prioritisation process.
	The South Nottinghamshire area is covered by the Greater Nottingham Local Transport Plan, which is jointly developed by Nottingham city council and Nottinghamshire county council. In the development of the associated Accessibility Strategy, a workshop was held in 2005 relating to access to food and essential services and included discussion of closures, cost of travel, relative infrequency of public transport in rural areas, and availability of information on transport types. The Post Office consumer group, Postwatch, were also consulted as part of this work.
	Department for Transport expects local transport authorities to develop detailed Local Accessibility Action Plans for each year of the plan period to 2010-11, based on the priorities identified through the themed workshops and discussions with partners.

Business Review

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 851W, on the Business Review, by what criteria companies are expected to assess whether a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to understand the development, performance or position of their business when deciding what to include in the Business Review under Clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill; and whether guidance will be issued on this matter.

Margaret Hodge: It is for the directors to judge whether and what information about a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to provide a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the development, performance and position of the company's business consistent with the size and complexity of the business. The Accounting Standards Board will review its best practice guidance to ensure that it remains up todate in light of the outcome of the parliamentary consideration of the Bill. It is for shareholders to hold the directors to account.

Business Review

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions to Standing Committee D on 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 703, on clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill, by what criteria he expects companies to assess whether a contractual or other relationship is essential to the business and therefore required to be included in the Business Review by subsection (4) of clause 399.

Margaret Hodge: Subsection (4) of clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill requires the directors' Business Review to be a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the development, performance and position of the company's business consistent with the sizeand complexity of the business. It is for the directorsto judge whether and what information about a contractual or supplier relationship is necessary to be included in the review and for the shareholders to hold the directors accountable for the information provided in their review.

Business Start-ups (South-East London)

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote  (a) investment in industry and  (b) business start-ups in South East London.

Margaret Hodge: Responsibility for the promotion of investment in industry and business start-ups in South East London (Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich) rests primarily with partner organisations managed by the London Development Agency (LDA).
	Inward investment promotion and business retention activities are delivered through the agencies of Think London and Gateway to London. Support for business start ups is delivered via the Business Link Information, Diagnosis and Brokerage Service and London's Enterprise Agencies.
	The LDA has developed a number of programmes and grant schemes specifically designed to assist business start-ups and investment in industry with delivery undertaken by local delivery organisations in South East London. The LDA has also invested in South East London as a location for business by promoting developments including Woolwich Arsenal, Thamesmead and Belvedere/Erith.
	The Government office for London and the LDA are working with all local authorities and other public funded bodies across the capital in the development of local area agreements (LAAs). An element of the agreements is specifically aimed at encouraging strategic economic development and enterprise growth, drawing together a wide range of existing funding streams and appropriate measures and resources.

Consultants

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on consultants by his Department in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 23 May 2006
	Central records indicate that the cost to the Department of engaging consultants in each of the following financial years has been:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1999-2000 21 
			 2000-01 36 
			 2001-02 64 
			 2002-03 93 
			 2003-04 112 
			 2004-05 86 
			 2005-06 53.6 
		
	
	Information for years prior to 1999-2000 is notheld centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Doorstep Lending

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the net outflow in interest payments to doorstep lenders in each local authority area in the UK.

Ian McCartney: Information of this kind on individual credit agreements is not currently collected.
	However, according to the provisional findings of the Competition Commission's Home Credit Market Inquiry, home credit lenders collected around£1.9 billion in repayments from their customers in 2004.

Electricity Transmission

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that power producers reduce carbon dioxide emissions attributable to electricity transmission and distribution losses; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Power producers are strongly incentivised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from all aspects of electricity production through the European Emissions Trading Scheme, which incentivises all installations it covers to reduce emissions in response to a carbon price. It is up to each installation to determine what measures it may take to reduce its emissions, which may include those attributable to transmission and distribution losses.
	In addition, power producers are specifically incentivised to reduce transmission and distribution losses through the requirement on all power producers using the transmission system pay on a cost reflective basis. This aims to reflect the costs generators impose on the network to transfer electricity to where it is required. With 2 per cent. of electricity conveyed over the transmission network lost, through noise and heat, there is an environmental as well as economic case for having generation near to the main centres of electricity demand and the transmission charging system reflects this.
	About 6 per cent. of electricity conveyed over the distribution network is lost. Distribution Network Operators, as part of their regulated price controls, are incentivised to reduce these losses.

Enterprise

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government is taking to encourage enterprise among people agedover 30.

Margaret Hodge: The Government are pursuing a range of programmes to encourage enterprise in the over 30s.
	These include:
	Providing the information, advice and support needed for entrepreneurs to start, maintain and grow a business through the Business Link service in England, and its counterparts in the Devolved Administrations.
	Providing a targeted programme of support through the New Deal to suitable unemployed people, offering advice and training from a specialist provider.
	Pump priming the Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise (PRIME) with revenue and loan guarantee support through the DTI's Phoenix Fund. This has supported entrepreneurial activity amongst over 50's across the country.
	Creating a Taskforce on Women's Enterprise to accelerate the development of women's enterprise. Regional Development Agencies are piloting Women's Enterprise Units to trial different approaches to supporting the start-up and growth of women-owned businesses.
	Supporting a programme of activity led by the Ethnic Minority Business Forum to promote enterprise amongst ethnic minority groups. A three-year action plan was published in December 2005.
	Running 'Enterprising Britain', an annual national competition to find the country's most enterprising city, town, place or area, which showcases what is being done to support a stronger, more dynamic enterprise culture across the UK.
	Increasing the resources available to RDAs, all of whom are tasked with encouraging enterprise, with targets for the number of new businesses created and surviving in their regions.

Local Distribution Grids

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of investment in local distribution grids by the distribution network operators; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Price controls for the period 2005-10, which set the operational and capital expenditure for the 14 electricity distribution networks, were agreed between the regulator (Ofgem) and the distribution network operators in January 2005. Ofgem has to allow the networks sufficient revenue to invest in their businesses to deliver licence conditions, which include having safe and reliable networks. At the same time, Ofgem seeks to keep costs down for consumers. The reliability of the distribution networks in Britain has improved, with power cuts relating to underlying performance (i.e. taking out major storms) down by16 per cent. since performance incentives were introduced in 2002.
	For the 2005-10 price control, £5.7 billion has been allowed for investment in the distribution networks. These allowances are 48 per cent. above the 2000-05 price control. Specific measures have been introduced to assist renewables and distributed generation. The 2005-10 price controls addresses three key areas: the need to increase investment and efficiency, to improve quality of service and to accommodate the growth in distributed generation.

Minimum Wage

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department expects the next revision to the youth rate of the national minimum wage; what representations he has received on this matter; and what plans he has to make representations on this matter.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In line with the recommendationof the Low Pay Commission, on 1 October the development rate for 16-17 year olds will increase to £3.30 an hour.

Ministerial Meetings

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what trade-related  (a) missions he plans to undertake and  (b) meetings he plans to hold during the parliamentary recess.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry plans to visit Brazil in September, accompanied by a business delegation. During the recess he will continue to hold discussions on trade, investment and economic affairs, including with business, other non-governmental organisations, as well as European Union and non-European Union contacts, as necessary.

Royal Mail (Complaints)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints from customers were received by the Royal Mail  (a) nationally and  (b) in the York postal area (i) in 2005-06 and (ii) each of the previous four years; and whether it is the Government's policy that the Royal Mail should continue to publish information about complaints received in each post code area.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of Royal Mail has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Postcomm, the postal regulator is responsible for licensing postal operators. Under the terms of Royal Mail's licence they are required to publish details of complaints received, incorporating number of claims of compensation. They must be published in a manner that ensures reasonable publicity.

Science Centres

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent meetings he has held with representatives of science centres to discuss their future role and funding.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning (Bill Rammell) on 20 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 651-52W.

UK Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of how UK trade with  (a) Romania and  (b) Bulgaria will develop once those nations have joined the European Union.

Ian McCartney: Assessments carried out by United Kingdom Trade and Investment conclude that a growing level of interest in Bulgaria and Romania from UK business in the lead up to EU membership will increase yet further on accession because of the opportunities it affords. Furthermore EU accession in itself is only one of the catalysts for increased opportunity. Growing economic prosperity, the development of a market economy and rising standards of living will contribute to this process as well and are already well under way in thee countries.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information his Department holds on  (a) publicly owned and  (b) privately owned companies which are trading with Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: Data is not available on which UK companies are trading with Zimbabwe. Information on the main exports and imports by product was provided in response to Parliamentary Question: 2005/5083.

Advertising Campaigns

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor ofthe Exchequer what advertising campaigns the Department ran between 2000 and June 2004; and what the  (a) date and  (b) cost was of each.

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) and the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies) on6 July 2005,  Official Report, column 433W.

Capita Group

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the value of contracts held by his Department with  (a) Capita plc and  (b) its subsidiaries was in the last three financial years;
	(2)  how many tenders  (a) Capita plc and  (b) its subsidiaries have submitted to his Department in each of the last three years; and how many tenders were successful;
	(3)  how many contracts his Department holds with  (a) Capita plc and  (b) its subsidiaries which still have a potential duration of five years or more;
	(4)  how much business his Department has placed with  (a) Capita Group plc and  (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; what the total value is of outstanding contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries by his Department; for which current tenders issued by his Department (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries have been invited to bid; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have seconded staff (1) temporarily and(2) on a longer-term basis to (X) his Department and (Y) its agencies.

John Healey: Any consultant engaged by a Department needs to pass through a rigorous and transparent procurement process in line with EU procurement directives.
	Like every other Government Department the Treasury's annual accounts are scrutinised by the House and by the NAO.
	The Treasury has two contracts with Capita. At no time was there any ministerial involvement in the contracts mentioned.
	Figures for the costs of using consultants, including Capita, were released in a freedom of information request to the BBC on 23 January and have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	There are no staff seconded by Capita or its subsidiaries to the Treasury or its agencies.

Financial Consumer Education

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for changes in spending on financial consumer education in connection with his target to educate all children in financial matters.

Edward Balls: The Financial Services Authority (FSA), in partnership with the Government, the financial services industry and voluntary organisations leads the national strategy for financial capability. One of the strands of the national strategy—"Learning Money Matters"—will provide schools with a comprehensive one-stop shop for help, support and advice to help them deliver effective personal finance education to their pupils. Learning Money Matters will be delivered by pfeg (the Personal Finance Education Group), an independent charity that works with schools to promote personal finance education for young people. The target is to reach 1.8 million children in 4,000 schools by 2010-11 to improve their financial knowledge, understanding and confidence.
	While total costs incurred by all partners are not available, the FSA's contributions to financial capability (for all aspects not just schools) were £2.5 million in 2003-04, £4 million in 2004-05 and£8 million in 2005-06 and up to £10 million for 2006-07.
	What is clear is that improving financial capability is a long-term initiative. The 10-year strategy that I announced last week will take an in-depth look at how the Government can best contribute.

Fundamental Savings Review

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Members for Bosworth and Livingston of 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1470, on the Fundamental Savings review, whether trading enterprises owned by the public sector will be sold off in the planned sale of assets.

Stephen Timms: The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) will take forward the Government's objective of realising £30 billion of asset disposals by 2010, and will examine options for disposing of other public assets, including public corporations and trading funds.

Gershon Review

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the change has been in staff numbers in Departments subject to Gershon review reduction.

Stephen Timms: As announced in "Releasing Resources to meet the challenges ahead: value for money in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review", by the end of March 2006 departments had delivered more than half of the 84,000 workforce reductions planned by 2007-08 with 45,547 gross reductions.
	Departments publish data on the size of their workforce in their annual reports. The relationship between this data and the data used to measure progress against the SR04 Efficiency programme is set out in the technical note published by the Cabinet Office; (http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/doc/workforce_reductions_tech_note.doc).

Ministerial Meetings

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what trade related  (a) missions he plans to undertake and  (b) meetings he plans to hold during the parliamentary recess.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals throughout the year as part of the process of policy development, analysisand delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of every such meeting.

Ministry of Defence

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to Releasing the resources to meet the challenge ahead, Cm 6889, what reduction in the administration budget he will require of the Ministry of Defence.

Stephen Timms: While the Government are committedto controlling the overheads of all Government Departments, "Releasing the resources to meet the challenge ahead" cm 6889 does not set targetsfor individual Government Departments. The Government have affirmed their commitment to bear down on administration costs over the CSR period.

Net Taxes/National Insurance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what net taxes and national insurance contributions were, excluding North Sea revenues as defined in footnote three to table C9 of the 2006 Budget report, HC 968, in each year since 1976-77; and what these figures represent as a percentage of gross domestic product in each year.

Stephen Timms: Data on net taxes and national insurance contributions and North Sea revenues as a percentage of GDP back to 1973-74 can be found in table C1 of the Public Finances Databank (availableon the web at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pubsec_finance/psf_statistics.cfm).

Personal Debt

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) average amount of personal debt per person and  (b) total amount of personal debt was in (i) Brent and (ii) London in the last period for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on personal debt in the UK. (87781)
	We are unable to provide levels of total personal debt by region. The following table shows estimates for the whole ofthe UK.
	
		
			  End-year 
			   Total personal debt (£ million)  Average personal total debt (£) 
			 2005 1,275,740 26,730 
			  Note: For average per head figures, the denominator is population aged 16+. 
		
	
	The estimates of debt and income are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. Estimates for households alone are not available. NPISHs are legal entities which are principally engaged in the production of non-market services for households and whose main resources are voluntary contributions by households. Examples of NPISHs are: charities; relief and aid organisations; educational establishments; Trade Unions; Professional Associations, Political Parties and Religious Organisations, and Sports Clubs and Associations.
	Further data are available from table A64 in United Kingdom Economic Accounts which is available at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1904&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=422

Sir David Varney

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much Sir David Varney is being paid to act as a senior adviser on Transformational Government; and who is meeting the cost;
	(2)  whether Sir David Varney will be employed as  (a) a civil servant and  (b) a special adviser in his role as senior adviser on Transformational Government;
	(3)  how many people in the Treasury are working on the Transformational Government project, broken down by grade; and what the total salary cost is.

John Healey: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the 2006 Budget the appointment ofSir David Varney to advise him on opportunities for transforming the delivery of public services. Details of Sir David's work are set out in "Releasing the Resources to Meet the Challenges Ahead: Value for Money in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review" (Cm 6889). He will report to the Chancellor on his findings in time to inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
	Sir David will work full time as the Chancellor's senior adviser on transformational government until December 2006 and will be employed on civil service pay and conditions. His remuneration will be included in Her Majesty's Treasury's 2006-07 Resource Accounts.
	Sir David's work on transformational government forms part of the work of Her Majesty's Treasury. No additional staff have been recruited and costs will be met from within existing budgets.

Volunteering

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the contribution to the UK economy of those on benefits who volunteer.

Dawn Primarolo: No such research has been undertaken. However, the Government recognises the potential impact of volunteering on helping benefit claimants return to work, and has taken a numberof steps to facilitate volunteering. The Russell Commission looked at the experiences of young volunteers in receipt of benefits, and put forward a number of recommendations, as well as publishing the Guide to Volunteering on Benefits.

Alcohol-related Conditions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people  (a) under and  (b) over the age of 18 years were admitted to hospital for alcohol-related problem in each year since 1997 for which figures are available, broken down by (i) region, (ii) health authority and (iii) primary care trust.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested. However, data is provided in the following table for patients admitted to hospital for alcohol-related problems broken down by strategic health authority (SHA) for 2003-04 and 2004-05.
	
		
			  Count of patients admitted to hospital for alcohol-related conditions by region, SHA and age (ICD10 codes F10,K70,T51) Data for all NHS hospitals in England, data years 2003-04, 2004-05 
			2004-05  2003-04 
			  Government office region  SHA  under 18  18 and over  under 18  18 and over 
			 East of England Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 263 4,558 251 4,381 
			 East of England Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 170 2,323 170 1,842 
			 East of England Essex 118 2,552 103 2,099 
			 London North West London 107 3,953 107 3,596 
			 London North Central London 91 2,683 75 2,275 
			 London North East London 77 2,930 109 2,916 
			 London South East London 130 3,812 121 3,131 
			 South East South West London 156 2,584 162 2,073 
			 North East Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 306 6,032 246 5,512 
			 North East County Durham and Tees Valley 280 4,108 247 3,481 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 352 4,322 348 3,837 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber West Yorkshire 283 5,447 293 4,828 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber South Yorkshire 194 3,255 164 2,885 
			 North West Cumbria and Lancashire 447 6,763 380 6,130 
			 North West Greater Manchester 642 10,707 519 8,670 
			 North West Cheshire and Merseyside 546 11,228 540 10,496 
			 South East Thames Valley 231 3,677 201 3,050 
			 South East Hampshire and Isle of Wight 279 3,722 260 3,392 
			 South East Kent and Medway 226 3,049 191 2,650 
			 South East Surrey and Sussex 367 5,585 340 4,677 
			 South West Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 281 5,687 264 4,402 
			 South West South West Peninsula 286 4,321 296 4,113 
			 South West Dorset and Somerset 159 2,643 145 2,216 
			 East Midlands Trent 399 6,897 356 6,233 
			 East Midlands Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 139 2,964 131 2,530 
			 West Midlands Shropshire and Staffordshire 237 2,958 237 2,800 
			 West Midlands Birmingham and the Black Country 311 6,491 324 5,945 
			 West Midlands West Midlands South 216 2,994 222 2,746 
			  Other/unknown 133 4,995 107 3,758 
			  Notes: Ungrossed DataFigures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data that is the data is ungrossed. Patient countsPatient counts are based on the unique patient identifier HES1D. This identifier is derived based on patient's date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and NHS number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID must erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell.ICD10 codes used: F10, T51, K70 - Alcohol related admissions.Data has been provided for 2004-05 and 2003-04 only as data from earlier years is not comparable as a time series in the requested format due to boundary changes of SHA's. Source:Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Audiology Services

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many audiology posts are unfilled in England.

Rosie Winterton: The March 2005 vacancy survey recorded 70 vacancies for audiologists which remained unfilled after three months or more in England. This was a three-month vacancy rate of4.8 per cent.
	The results of the 2006 vacancy survey are due to be published on the 27 July 2006.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, of 13 June 2006, regarding a constituent.

Andy Burnham: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 21 July 2006.

Crohn's Disease

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease; what NHS funds are set aside to help treat those suffering from the disease; and what public funds have been allocated to help finance research into developing a DNA Crohn's disease vaccine.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 20 July 2006
	Information on the number of people diagnosed with Crohn's disease is not collected. NHS funds are not specifically set aside for the treatment of individual diseases.
	No public funds have been allocated to finance research into developing a DNA Crohn's disease vaccine. The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant in aid from the Office of Science and Innovation, part of the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC allocates research funding based on the merit of the individual research proposals. In 2003-04 the MRC spend on research relevant to inflammatory bowel diseases (which includes Crohn's disease) amounted to£1.6 million.

Dentistry

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in Ruislip-Northwood constituency have  (a) opened and  (b) closed since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the opening and closure of general dental services (GDS) or personal dental services (PDS) practices is not collected centrally. However, the number of practice addresses is available.
	The number of GDS and PDS dental practices in Ruislip-Northwood constituency is shown in the table.
	
		
			  General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Number of GDS or PDS dental practice addresses in Ruislip-Northwood constituency as at 31 March each year 
			   Number 
			 1997 23 
			 2006 23 
			  Notes:1. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much national health service treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the primary care trust. Information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual GDS or PDS dentists is not centrally available.2. Areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory.3. Data have been supplied by the Information Centre for health and social care. Source:The Information Centre for health and social careNHS Business Services Authority

Domiciliary Oxygen

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the expected annual change in costs is of providing domiciliary oxygen services before and after the introduction of the new contract;
	(2)  what the cost has been of supplying domiciliary oxygen services in each of the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: In 2004-05 the last full financial year of providing the service under former arrangements, the cost of providing domiciliary oxygen services was £32,809,524. It is not possible to make a direct comparison in the costs of these arrangements with the arrangements supporting service delivery before that date, as the costs are calculated on a differentbasis. Under the new arrangements, which began on1 February 2006, the annual cost will reflect the regional contract per diem prices in the 10 oxygen service regions in England and local patterns in ordering these services. The full cost of the service for 2005-06 is not yet available and these will include costs associated with the introduction of the new arrangements on 1 February 2006. The first full year under the new service arrangement will be 2006-07 and we are only three months into the current financial year. In addition, in many parts of the country, primary care trusts have continued to work with local pharmacists to maintain a cylinder service in parallel with the new arrangements to safeguard continuity of supply to patients during action to transfer all patients to the new suppliers.
	However, the cost of providing the domiciliary oxygen services in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available are as follows:
	
		
			  2005-06 
			   Total (£000) 
			 April(1) 7,048 
			 May 1,818 
			 June 4,491 
			 July 4,601 
			 August 4,705 
			 September(1) 7,761 
			 October 1,841 
			 November 5,048 
			 December(1) 7,844 
			 January 1,953 
			 February 4,842 
			 March 5,725 
			  57,677 
			 (1) In some calendar months there are two payment dates as payments are made on the 1(st) of the month, unless this falls on a weekend or a bank holiday—in which case the payment in made earlier. Only 12 payments can be made in one financial year.

Drug and Alcohol Dependency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the number of people in  (a) rural and  (b) non-rural areas with (i) drug and (ii) alcohol dependency (A) in absolute terms and (B) per head of population; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department's 2004 alcohol needs assessment research project is the first alcohol needs assessment in England conducted on a national scale, and reports there are 1.1 million people in England who meet the criteria of alcohol dependence. We are unable to supply a breakdown of rural and non-rural areas, however regional breakdown is shown intable 1.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Region  Total 
			 North East 83,356 
			 North West 145,054 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 163,889 
			 East Midlands 42,656 
			 West Midlands 126,658 
			 East of England 95,808 
			 London 217,429 
			 South East 183,611 
			 South West 95,257 
			 Total for England 1,132,074 
		
	
	The Department does not hold data for the numbers of those with a drug dependency in the format requested but we can provide the following data on the prevalence of drug dependence.
	Data on drug dependence is available from the survey Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adults (aged 16 to 74) Living in Private Households (in Great Britain) carried out in 2000, by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
	We are unable to break down the prevalence by rural or non-rural areas, however the latest data we have available from the ONS survey is shown in table 2. This provides the prevalence of drug dependence of adults aged 16-74 by NHS regional office area, based on responses to five questions, about drug use in the year prior to interview.
	
		
			  Table 2: Prevalence of drug dependence of adults( 1) , by NHS regional office area and sex (rate per thousand population), 2000 
			  Rate per thousand in past year 
			   Northern and Yorkshire  Trent  West Midlands  North West  Eastern  London  South East  South West  England 
			  Women  
			 Dependence on:  
			 Cannabis 18 4 1 14 24 46 13 1 16 
			 Amphetamines 1 2 — 4 5 — 2 — 2 
			 Cocaine 1 — — 4 — 1 1 — 1 
			 Crack 1 — — — — 2 — — 0 
			 Ecstasy 5 1 — — 9 2 — — 2 
			 Heroin/Methadone 1 4 — 3 — — — 1 1 
			 Tranquillisers 2 2 — 4 3 4 3 3 3 
			 Volatile substances — — — — — — — — — 
			   
			 Cannabis only 17 — 1 14 16 43 11 1 14 
			 Other drug(s) with or without cannabis dependence 7 10 — 10 12 7 5 4 7 
			 Any drug dependence 24 10 1 25 27 50 16 5 21 
			   
			 Bases 528 414 405 559 435 490 722 432 3,985 
			   
			  Men  
			 Dependence on:  
			 Cannabis 31 32 30 68 27 37 58 51 43 
			 Amphetamines 7 — 2 1 1 13 8 — 5 
			 Cocaine — — 8 — 13 4 7 2 4 
			 Crack — — 7 — — 4 2 — 2 
			 Ecstasy 3 10 10 12 4 5 17 9 9 
			 Heroin/Methadone 1 2 7 4 — 4 — — 2 
			 Tranquillisers 1 — — 7 — 4 — — 2 
			 Volatile substances — — — — — — — — — 
			   
			 Cannabis only 22 27 22 54 23 33 41 39 34 
			 Other drug(s) with or without cannabis dependence 13 12 18 20 19 19 23 11 17 
			 Any drug dependence 34 39 40 74 41 52 65 51 51 
			   
			 Bases 430 332 333 427 388 385 578 356 3,229 
			   
			  All adults  
			 Dependence on:  
			 Cannabis 25 18 16 41 26 41 36 25 30 
			 Amphetamines 4 1 1 3 3 7 5 — 3 
			 Cocaine 1 — 4 2 7 3 4 1 3 
			 Crack 1 — 3 — — 3 1 — 1 
			 Ecstasy 4 6 5 6 7 4 9 5 6 
			 Heroin/Methadone 1 3 3 3 — 2 — 1 2 
			 Tranquillisers 2 1 — 6 1 4 2 1 2 
			 Volatile substances — — — — — — — — — 
			   
			 Cannabis only 19 13 12 34 19 38 26 20 24 
			 Other drug(s) with or without cannabis dependence 10 11 9 15 15 13 14 7 12 
			 Any drug dependence 29 24 21 49 34 51 41 27 36 
			   
			 Bases 958 746 738 986 823 875 1,300 788 7,214 
			 '—'denotes no cases0 denotes values less than 0.5 per cent.(1) Adults aged 16-74 Note:The sample for England has been subdivided into eight NHS regional office areas, which should not be mistaken for the current Government office region structure. The sample sizes in a number of regions are quite small and there was differential non-response between regions. Source:Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adults Living in Private Households, 2000. Office for National Statistics carried out on behalf of Department of Health, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales.

Health Statistics (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with  (a) diabetes and  (b) Alzheimer's syndrome in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes is not held in the format requested. However, the number of patients with diabetes by London primary care trust (PCT) for March 2005 and March 2006 which are the latest figures available is shown in the following table.
	Data on the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's syndrome is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Number of patients with diabetes as identified on practice registers 
			  LondonMarch 2006  March 2005 
			 North Central Barnet PCT 5A9 12,423 12,041 
			 North Central Enfield PCT 5C1 10,559 9,616 
			 North Central Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 9,664 8,849 
			 North Central Camden PCT 5K7 5,897 5,691 
			 North Central Islington PCT 5K8 6,706 6,049 
			 North East Havering PCT 5A4 8,997 8,306 
			 North East Barking and Dagenham PCT 5C2 6,582 5,673 
			 North East City and Hackney PCT 5C3 9,225 8,644 
			 North East Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 9,995 9,402 
			 North East Newham PCT 5C5 14,404 13,948 
			 North East Redbridge PCT 5NA 11,522 10,975 
			 North East Waltham Forest PCT 5NC 10,399 9,898 
			 North West Hillingdon PCT SAT 9,701 9,153 
			 North West Hammersmith and Fulham 5H1 4,651 4,960 
			 North West Ealing PCT 5HX 15,481 14,409 
			 North West Hounslow PCT SHY 9,796 9,182 
			 North West Brent PCT 5K5 16,158 15,236 
			 North West Harrow PCT 5K6 10,846 8,963 
			 North West Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA 4,386 4,117 
			 North West Westminster PCT 5LC 5,998 5,801 
			 South East Bromley PCT 5A7 9,499 9,052 
			 South East Greenwich PCT 5A8 8,159 7,535 
			 South East Lambeth PCT 5LD 10,397 9,875 
			 South East Southwark PCT 5LE 9,294 8,759 
			 South East Lewisham PCT 5LF 10,161 8,819 
			 South East Bexley Care Trust TAK 7,770 7,589 
			 South West Kingston PCT 5A5 5,490 4,959 
			 South West Croydon PCT 5K9 13,781 13,252 
			 South West Wandsworth PCT 5LG 9,256 9,086 
			 South West Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5M6 4,698 4,235 
			 South West Sutton and Merton PCT 5M7 13,330 12,373

Ministerial Meetings

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2006,  Official Report, column 330W, on ministerial meetings, which two dates were cancelled for a meeting between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 10 July 2006
	A meeting was scheduled to take place between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health on Monday 5 June at 8 p.m. in Interview Room 1, Portcullis House. The meeting was postponed. The Minister of State for Health had hoped to offerthe hon. Member further dates for this meeting on the evenings of 12 and 19 June but was prevented from doing so by parliamentary business.
	A meeting did subsequently take place between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health on Mon 26 June at 8.30pm at the above venue.
	Another meeting was arranged on 22 June. Representatives of the hon. Member attended.

Ministerial Visits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in East Yorkshire constituency in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 17 July 2006
	My hon. Friend, Ms Caroline Flint, Minister of State for Public Health visited health trainers from East and West Hull primary care trusts on 23 March 2006.
	My hon. Friend, Ms Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Health Services visited the Greentrees facility, a nurse consultant-led service in Willerby, Hull on4 April 2006.

Road Accidents (Compensation)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was recovered by hospitals from insurers towards the cost of treatment of persons injured in road accidents in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Hospitals have for more than70 years been able to recover the costs of providing treatment to the victims of road traffic accidents where the injured person successfully claims personal injury compensation from the person responsible for causing the injury, through their insurer. However, the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 introduced a streamlined, centralised recovery scheme, operated by the compensation recovery unit, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Recoveries since that scheme was introduced in April 1999 are as shown in the table.
	
		
			   Amount recovered (£) 
			 1999-2000 30,046,572 
			 2000-01 75,847,629 
			 2001-02 98,278,603 
			 2002-03 105,025,336 
			 2003-04 105,654,936 
			 2004-05 117,504,738 
			 2005-06 121,500

Antisocial Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment is made of the effectiveness of measures taken to tackle antisocial behaviour in the Vale of Clwyd;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the take-upof provisions of anti-social behaviour legislation introduced since 1997 in each local authority area.

Tony McNulty: Although the data is not available in the form requested, we know that there has been a huge response both from practitioners (such as local authorities and the police) and from local communities in taking a stand to tackle antisocial behaviour. The tools and powers we have provided since 1997 are being used widely and wisely.
	For the last two years, we have carried out a survey of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England, and Community Safety Partnerships in Wales, asking about their actions taken to tackle antisocial behaviour. From those who responded to the surveys, the results are shown in the table.
	A Home Office data collection exercise carried out in July 2005 estimated that between January 2004 and June 2005, 809 areas were designated as dispersal areas.
	The latest number of Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued in England between April 1999 and September 2005 as reported to the Home Office is 7,026; there were 330 ASBOs issued in Wales, and 13 in Denbighshire, in the same period.
	Although we have made much progress there is still much more to be done. We must ensure that our approach is taken nationally so that, no matter where they live, communities should not have to suffer long-term antisocial behaviour problems. Therefore, as part of our work to rebalance the criminal justice system in favour of the law abiding majority, we intend to increase the take up of antisocial behaviour powers, and to reduce the variation in local performance.
	
		
			  Intervention  1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004  1 October 2004 to 30 September 2005 
			 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts 5,094 8,654 
			 Parenting Contracts 307 1296 
			 Parenting Orders 229 537 
			 Injunctions 946 1614 
			 Evictions 654 822 
			 Closure Orders (1)176 338 
			 (1)This is for the period 20 January 2004 to 30 September 2004. The crack house closure power was introduced in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 and came into force on 20 January 2004.

Antisocial Behaviour

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been issued in West Lancashire; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The data is not available in the form requested. However, for the last two years the Home Office Anti-social Behaviour Unit has carried out a survey of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Community safety Partnerships in Wales asking about their actions taken to tackle antisocial behaviour. From those who responded to the surveys the results are as follows.
	Acceptable Behaviour Contracts 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004—5,094
	Acceptable Behaviour Contracts 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2005—8,654

Chelmsford Prison

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department when the temporary accommodation for visitors to Chelmsford Prison was installed; and for how long it was expected to last.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The first portacabin was installed seven years ago and the second three years ago to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors. The portacabins were always intended to provide a long term facility.

Criminal Justice

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average period elapsed between sentencing and tariff setting in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Detention Occupancy Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the occupancy rate was for each  (a) prison,  (b) young offenders institution,  (c) secure training centre and  (d) local authority secure unit in each of the past 20 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the occupancy rate of all prison establishments (including young offender institutions) in England and Wales between 1992 and 2006 can be found in monthly tables held by the House of Commons Library Statistical Resource Unit. Equivalent information for 1986 to 1992 cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.
	Information on the occupancy rate of Secure Children's Homes in England and Wales is provided by the Department for Education and Skills. Information for 2001 to 2005 is published on their website (http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/index.shtml); information for 1998 to 2000 is in the following table; earlier years are not available. Information on the occupancy rate of Secure Training Centres is not available in this form.
	
		
			  Secure children's homes: occupancy rate at 31 March 1998 
			   Percentage 
			 All units 80 
			 Aycliffe Centre 80 
			 Netherton Park 56 
			 Kyloe House 75 
			 Sutton Place 90 
			 Aldine House 75 
			 East Moor CH 100 
			 Redsands CC 88 
			 Briars Hey CH 50 
			 Dales House 100 
			 Barton Moss SU 95 
			 Dyson Hall CH 100 
			 St. Helens/Redbank 65 
			 Redbank CH-VH 100 
			 St. Catherines CH 100 
			 Watling House 42 
			 St. Johns Safe Centre 100 
			 Stoke House 81 
			 125C Market St 100 
			 Kesteven House 75 
			 Tiffied St. John's 100 
			 Clayfields House 61 
			 Salters 69 
			 Thornbury House 67 
			 Stamford House 94 
			 Orchard Lodge 88 
			 Robeson Unit 100 
			 Pankhurst Unit 100 
			 Swanick Lodge 50 
			 Landsdowne CC 80 
			 Beechfield 50 
			 Vinney Green 82 
			 Neath Hillside 78 
			  Source: Department for Education and Skills 
		
	
	
		
			  Secure children's homes: occupancy rate at 31 March 1999 
			   Percentage 
			 All units 75 
			 Aycliffe Centre 59 
			 Kyloe House 100 
			 Sutton Place 100 
			 Aldine House 88 
			 East Moor CH 83 
			 Redsands CC 88 
			 Dales House 50 
			 Barton Moss SU 80 
			 Dyson Hall CH 10 
			 Redbank CH-SU 31 
			 Redbank CH-VH 67 
			 St. Catherines CH 100 
			 Watling House 67 
			 St. Johns Safe Centre 100 
			 Stoke House 100 
			 125C Market St 75 
			 Kesteven House 75 
			 Tiffied St. John's 81 
			 Clayfields House 78 
			 Salters 100 
			 Leverton 94 
			 Stamford House 81 
			 Orchard Lodge 100 
			 Pankhurst Unit 63 
			 Swanick Lodge 56 
			 Landsdowne CC 60 
			 Beechfieid 117 
			 Vmney Green 100 
			 Atkinson Unit 81 
			 Neath Hillside 83 
			 Briars Hey — 
			 Thornbury — 
			  Source: Department for Education and Skills 
		
	
	
		
			  Secure children's homes: occupancy rate at 31 March 2000 
			   Percentage 
			 All units 82 
			 Briars Hey 75 
			 Beechfield 83 
			 St. Catherines CH 100 
			 Atkinson Unit 94 
			 Swanick Lodge 38 
			 Clare Lodge/Salters 100 
			 Dyson Hall CH 100 
			 Leverton 94 
			 Landsdowne CC 100 
			 Redsands CC 100 
			 Dales House 75 
			 Aldine House 88 
			 Kesteven House 100 
			 Watling House 83 
			 St. Johns/Earlswood 100 
			 Orchard Lodge 88 
			 Redbank NH 93 
			 Redbank VH 86 
			 Redbank WH 86 
			 125C Market St/Brunel 63 
			 Sutton Place 40 
			 Thornbury 71 
			 Barton Moss SU 75 
			 Kyloe House 100 
			 Clayfields House 89 
			 Tiffied St. John's 63 
			 Vinney Green 91 
			 Stoke House 100 
			 Aycliffe Centre 65 
			 East Moor CH 100 
			 Stamford House 74 
			 Neath Hillside 61 
			  Source: Department for Education and Skills

Drink-driving

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of drivers convicted of drink driving  (a) received a fine,  (b) received a jail sentence and  (c) were banned from driving in the last year for which figures areavailable.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information taken from theCourt Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is given in the table for 2004 (latest available). Data for 2005 will be available earlyin 2007.
	
		
			  Findings of guilt at all courts and sentence and order imposed for the offences of 'driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs'( 1) , England and Wales, 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 Total findings of guilt 96,238 100 
			
			  Sentence or order   
			 Fine 66,433 69 
			 Immediate custody(2) 6,059 6 
			
			 Disqualification(3) 90,308 94 
			 (1) Offences under Road Traffic Act 1988 s4(1) and (2), 5(1a) and (b), 6(4), 7(6), and s7A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s56. (2) Immediate custody = detention and training order, young offender institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. (3) Secondary disposal.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Feltham Young Offender Institution

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to satisfy himself that the  (a) Governor and  (b) management team at Feltham Young Offender Institution are able to carry out the recommendations of the Mubarek Report.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Mr. Justice Keith's report into the death of Zahid Mubarek contains recommendationsto be implemented by the National Offender Management Service, Court Service, Department of Health, Department for Communities and Local Government and the police.
	The recommendations do not specifically apply to Feltham prison they apply to all prisons. A full response to all the recommendations will be given within two months as stated by the Home Secretary in his statement of 29 June.

HM Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is provided by HM Prison Service to governor grade staff on authorising release of prisoners  (a) under the Criminal Justice Acts,  (b) on temporary licence and  (c) on home detention curfew; and whether this training is mandatory.

Gerry Sutcliffe: For the information about training provided by the Prison Service to governor gradestaff, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 295W. Since February 2003 no training has been described as mandatory: training is provided when necessary to enable an individual to fulfil a role.

Identity Fraud

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken by his Department to tackle identity fraud since July 2005; and what action is planned between July 2006 andJuly 2007.

Joan Ryan: The Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC) was established in 2003 to lead a cross public/private sector work programme to tackle identity fraud and there has been a great deal of activity to reduce identity fraud in the last year.
	In September 2005 we launched a leaflet which provides the public with a quick and easy guide on things to look out for that indicate that they may be at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, or that they are already a victim. The leaflet has been distributed to main police stations, public libraries, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Identity and Passport Service regional offices, local DVLA offices and all MPs to assist when engaging with constituents. An online version can be found on the identity theft website.The leaflet has been co-branded by a number of organisations such as banks and credit reference agencies who have made it available to their customers and distributed by the National Neighbourhood Watch Association. We plan to continue our identity fraud awareness during the coming year by targeting particular social groups who are more at risk of identity fraud.
	In December 2005 we established a network of Single Points of Contact (SPOC) in all police forces and a range of government departments and agencies for dealing with identity fraud investigations and prosecutions. The network will continue its work and a SPOC seminar is due to take place in September 2006.
	We continue to make improvements to the security of the UK Passport. In March 2006 we began the introduction of biometric passports. Roll-out of the enhanced authentication and checking of passport applications via the Personal Identity Process was completed in June 2006. The Passport Validation Service has been operating during the past year and will be extended to other organisations. The introduction of interviews for first time adult passport applicants will also help to reduce identity fraud.
	On 10 May 2006 we introduced an amendment to the Police and Justice Bill to allow information on the recently deceased to be shared with law enforcement agencies, and other organisations to be specified by order, to prevent the identities of deceased people being used to commit fraud. Subject to Royal Assent the sharing of death information will commence around July 2007.
	On 7 June 2006 we brought into force the offences in the Identity Cards Act 2006 which create new criminal offences of being in possession of or controlling false identity documents. Investigation of offences under these provisions is already underway.
	On 17 July 2006 the Home Office published a consultation document on combating organised and financial crime which includes proposals to improve the use of public and private sector data to prevent crime, in particular fraud and identity fraud. The consultation will finish on 17 October 2006.
	Improving identity management and the development of ID cards are essential components in the fight against identity fraud and this work will continue next year.

Mentally Ill Prisoners

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are taken by the Prison Service to liaise with mental health authorities to ensure continuity of care and post-release treatment for former prisoners with mental illnesses.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Offenders with identified mental health problems are subject to the Care Programme Approach (CPA) during their stay in prison and on release. CPA enables the planning of treatment and continuity of mental health care for the individual. It is supported in prisons through NHS mental health teams, comprising over 360 staff in England. This means that on release from prison offenders needing CPA should have a care plan and, pre-release, the prison mental health in-reach team inform and share information with the individual's local GP.
	For those prisoners with identified severe and enduring mental illness, the prison will also contact the individuate community mental health team at the pre-release stage.
	The Offender Mental Health Care Pathway (DH, 2005) sets out best practice for commissioners and providers of mental health services for those in the criminal justice system. It is available on the Department of Health's website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/22/32/04102232.pdf

Partnership Working

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to foster partnership working.

Tony McNulty: Partnership working is central to the delivery of Home Office business. The National Community Safety Plan provides a clear statement of community safety priorities for local partners. Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) are well established as the primary local delivery vehicle for community safety work. Earlier this year, the Government published a review of CDRPs, with the aim of further improving their effectiveness and strengthening their accountability to the communities they serve. Partnership working is also at the heartof neighbourhood policing. As part of the neighbourhood policing initiative the police will work with local partners and communities to tackle local priority issues. At the national level, the Home Office is working with stakeholders to ensure that neighbourhood policing is integrated into the wider community safety agenda.
	The National Offender Management Service is giving high priority to fostering partnership working as part of its work to reduce re-offending, including through the Civic Society, Corporate and Faith, Community and Voluntary Sector Alliances.
	Working with a range of external partners is vital for delivery of 'Integration Matters', our strategy for refugee integration. We recognise that statutory and voluntary sector organisations are best placed to help us to remove the barriers that can prevent refugees from integrating into their new communities. Partnership working is also essential for the National Refugee Integration Forum (NRIF). This body brings together 32 individuals with a range of experiences and perspectives in delivering refugee integration, and is tasked to review our work and ensure that we are delivering on the action plan set out in the strategy.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio of police to public was in  (a) Southend and  (b) each police force in(i) 1979, (ii) 1983, (iii) 1987, (iv) 1992, (v) each year from 1993 to 2004 and (vi) the last period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 22 May 2006
	The information that is available for the ratio of police to 100,000 population for each police force area is provided in the table.
	Information on basic command units has only been collected since 2003. In March 2003, Southend had 170 (full-time equivalent) officers per 100,000 population. This figure increased to 175 in March 2004 and 179 in March 2005.
	Information on the number of police officers to population was published in the annual report of HM chief inspector of constabulary prior to 1998, but this information was based on the authorised establishment of each police force rather than its total strength and was presented as the ratio of population to each police officer. Therefore it is not possible to provide data for earlier years as it is not directly comparable with the Home Office calculations from 1998 onwards.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1)  per 100,000 population( 2) , by police force area( 3)  in each year from 1998 to 2005 
			   Year ending 31 March: 
			  Police force area  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 202.8 202.9 197.1 197.2 204.8 213.0 229.3 225.3 
			 Bedfordshire 196.5 188.5 184.7 184.2 188.9 197.5 210.1 214.6 
			 Cambridgeshire 183.6 178.9 171.8 178.8 186.5 195.9 197.2 194.3 
			 Cheshire 208.4 210.8 204.3 203.8 209.2 217.2 223.6 222.9 
			 Cleveland 266.0 254.7 252.3 253.0 262.5 294.1 313.6 304.5 
			 Cumbria 237.2 228.8 219.9 213.0 224.0 236.6 254.0 257.3 
			 Derbyshire 184.2 182.2 183.2 187.1 189.0 210.1 216.5 213.3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 192.0 186.1 182.3 186.9 192.4 203.6 208.2 212.3 
			 Dorset 192.1 186.0 188.9 195.5 197.8 205.1 208.7 210.9 
			 Durham 249.1 257.7 256.3 262.8 266.0 281.0 288.2 293.4 
			 Essex 193.4 189.8 183.0 178.5 180.8 186.1 192.3 198.2 
			 Gloucestershire 198.4 197.4 199.9 208.7 209.4 218.9 228.8 230.1 
			 Greater Manchester 269.8 264.8 263.6 268.1 279.1 297.7 322.7 320.8 
			 Hampshire 199.1 197.1 193.1 192.9 194.8 208.5 211.2 211.6 
			 Hertfordshire 201.5 197.8 201.1 184.3 173.7 191.0 204.3 206.0 
			 Humberside 227.9 223.2 218.8 217.5 233.6 244.3 256.3 255.4 
			 Kent 208.7 204.4 203.5 209.1 209.9 220.6 227.9 226.9 
			 Lancashire 228.6 227.7 222.8 228.3 231.1 238.8 251.7 250.8 
			 Leicestershire 213.8 214.5 214.6 217.6 223.7 232.2 246.4 246.1 
			 Lincolnshire 193.4 184.0 178.9 191.3 188.9 190.8 188.6 185.5 
			 London, City of * * * * * * * * 
			 Merseyside 296.8 297.9 289.8 290.8 293.9 302.0 303.3 318.0 
			 Metropolitan Police 355.6 352.4 341.0 351.1 365.9 404.0 420.0 432.5 
			 Norfolk 184.0 176.4 174.8 178.3 182.6 189.1 189.8 191.7 
			 Northamptonshire 193.4 186.4 181.4 186.3 194.0 193.8 197.6 200.5 
			 Northumbria 262.7 268.5 265.7 271.9 277.8 290.3 293.9 293.6 
			 North Yorkshire 186.1 181.2 172.9 174.6 188.0 193.2 203.1 205.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 225.1 215.5 213.7 214.2 225.9 238.8 245.0 245.0 
			 South Yorkshire 243.9 242.8 242.5 245.4 245.8 252.2 261.0 259.8 
			 Staffordshire 217.1 211.0 204.4 200.7 201.3 212.3 218.2 220.1 
			 Suffolk 179.2 178.5 170.7 167.9 176.9 187.9 195.6 195.1 
			 Surrey 207.1 211.9 226.9 191.6 184.3 182.4 183.2 184.0 
			 Sussex 203.5 191.4 188.3 188.5 190.0 203.1 206.0 205.4 
			 Thames Valley 182.8 179.7 178.2 175.0 176.8 186.3 195.4 198.3 
			 Warwickshire 184.6 180.3 177.5 182.4 189.9 197.5 197.2 194.8 
			 West Mercia 179.8 179.8 166.0 171.0 176.0 195.6 202.5 202.8 
			 West Midlands 270.8 278.3 273.7 282.6 293.3 306.6 310.9 316.2 
			 West Yorkshire 244.4 236.1 228.2 227.6 230.5 242.1 254.3 270.6 
			 Wiltshire 194.9 192.0 184.6 183.6 188.7 190.4 198.5 197.5 
			 Dyfed Powys 210.3 214.8 216.9 219.4 234.5 236.8 236.1 237.1 
			 Gwent 221.6 223.9 226.8 229.0 239.2 243.9 248.3 259.0 
			 North Wales 212.9 212.0 213.4 219.5 228.1 234.1 243.2 249.8 
			 South Wales 242.3 241.2 236.1 249.6 258.7 272.7 275.5 273.4 
			 Total 43 forces 239.9 237.2 232.6 234.0 240.4 254.4 263.8 267.2 
			 (1) The table contains calculations based on full-time equivalent figures for police officers which have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items in these and similar tables. The police officer strength figures used to calculate the number of police officers per 100,000 population for the years 1998 to 2002 excludes those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Figures from 2003 includes those police officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore figures prior to 2003 are not comparable with figures for 2003 onwards. (2) Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan police are combined. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. Therefore police to population ratios for these forces are not directly comparable for each of the years provided in the table.

Police

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety in his Department plans to meet in connection with the police mergers in Wales over the next three months; and what the dates are of those meetings which have been arranged.

Tony McNulty: Over the last two months I have held meetings and discussions with the four chief constables of Welsh forces, the four chairs of Welsh police authorities, the Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration, Edwina Hart AM, members of the Welsh Assembly's Social, Justice and Regeneration Committee, my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for Wales and his Minister my hon. Friend the member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, the Welsh Group of Labour MPs, North Wales Labour MPs and the Welsh Local Government Association. I will hold further meetings as appropriate but no dates have yet been fixed.

Police

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has  (a) to reduce the requirement on police officers to fill in forms and carry out other administrative tasks and  (b) to establish increased clerical support for such tasks.

Tony McNulty: We have already made good progress on reducing the bureaucratic burdens on police officers by cutting nearly 9,000 unnecessary forms; civilianising posts; rolling out the penalty notice for disorder scheme; and ensuring that forces have the best scientific and technological support like video identity parades and electronic fingerprinting.
	The Government introduced a measure in 2003 to record the amount of time that police officers spend on frontline duties in order to help to maximise the time spent on their core roles of preventing and reducing crime. More police officer time was spent on front line duties in 2004-05 (64.1 per cent.) than in 2003-04(63.6 per cent.) and we are determined to see this improvement continue, with police authorities setting robust targets for improvement.
	The Home Office expects that the police service can increase this to a national average of around 72 per cent. in 2008. This will be a gain in time on frontline duties equivalent to an extra 12,000 police officers. To support this, police staff numbers have grown substantially over the last few years. In September 2005 there were 71,967 police staff, an increase of 18,956 (nearly 36 per cent.) since 1997.
	
		
			  Percentage of population in prison establishments( 1)  in England and Wales from a minority ethnic group( 2)  by establishment 
			  Prison Establishment  30 June 2005  31 May 2006 
			 Acklington 4 5 
			 Albany 10 13 
			 Altcourse 6 7 
			 Ashfield 11 16 
			 Ashwell 26 33 
			 Askham Grange 21 18 
			 Aylesbury 44 48 
			 Bedford 31 40 
			 Belmarsh 45 46 
			 Birmingham 35 37 
			 Blakenhurst 25 23 
			 Blantyre House 27 29 
			 Blundeston 44 43 
			 Brinsford 31 35 
			 Bristol 21 20 
			 Brixton 54 55 
			 Brockhill 25 17 
			 Bronzfield 34 36 
			 Buckley Hall 14 22 
			 Bullingdon 29 32 
			 Bullwood Hall 29 34 
			 Camp Hill 34 35 
			 Canterbury 21 37 
			 Cardiff 12 13 
			 Castington 3 7 
			 Channings Wood 10 12 
			 Chelmsford 25 28 
			 Coldingly 45 43 
			 Cookham Wood 35 37 
			 Dartmoor 10 10 
			 Deerbolt 11 14 
			 Doncaster 16 19 
			 Dorchester 12 16 
			 Dovegate 32 33 
			 Dover 85 83 
			 Downview 50 57 
			 Drake Hall 33 34 
			 Durham 5 8 
			 East Sutton Park 47 49 
			 EastwoodPark 14 11 
			 Elmley 18 19 
			 Erlestoke 18 21 
			 Everthorpe 14 17 
			 Exeter 5 6 
			 Featherstone 35 29 
			 Feltham 59 65 
			 Ford 37 27 
			 Forest Bank 12 16 
			 Foston Hall 13 10 
			 Frankland 12 14 
			 Full Sutton 23 24 
			 Garth 22 17 
			 Gartree 21 22 
			 Glen Parva 24 27 
			 Gloucester 13 17 
			 Grendon (Spring Hill) 28 26 
			 Guys Marsh 19 24 
			 Haslar 78 81 
			 Haverigg 12 12 
			 Hewell Grange 41 32 
			 Highdown 43 34 
			 Highpoint North 48 38 
			 Highpoint South 45 46 
			 Hindley 16 14 
			 HollesleyBay 34 30 
			 Holloway 43 41 
			 Holme House 6 10 
			 Hull 8 8 
			 Huntercombe 42 42 
			 Kingston (Portsmouth) 16 18 
			 Kirkham 16 9 
			 Kirklevington 13 16 
			 Lancaster 4 5 
			 Lancaster Farms 11 11 
			 Latchmere House 37 38 
			 Leeds 19 21 
			 Leicester 19 29 
			 Lewes 12 15 
			 Leyhill 17 16 
			 Lincoln 6 11 
			 Lindholme 27 29 
			 Littlehey 16 20 
			 Liverpool 10 13 
			 LongLartin 31 37 
			 Low Newton 9 7 
			 Lowdham Grange 28 35 
			 Maidstone 35 35 
			 Manchester 22 25 
			 Moorland 22 22 
			 Moorland Open 18 23 
			 Morton Hall 66 56 
			 Mount 54 57 
			 New Hall 9 9 
			 North Sea Camp 18 17 
			 Northallerton 11 11 
			 Norwich 18 18 
			 Nottingham 23 20 
			 Onley 28 31 
			 Pare 8 9 
			 Parkhurst 32 31 
			 Pentonville 54 49 
			 Peterborough 17 22 
			 Portland 41 37 
			 Preston 12 10 
			 Ranby 16 23 
			 Reading 20 25 
			 Risley 13 13 
			 Rochester 42 43 
			 Rye Hill 35 39 
			 Send 39 33 
			 Shepton Mallet 11 10 
			 Shrewsbury 17 19 
			 Stafford 18 20 
			 Standford Hill 35 43 
			 Stocken 22 24 
			 Stoke Heath 21 20 
			 Styal 10 11 
			 Sudbury 26 28 
			 Swaleside 40 38 
			 Swansea 5 5 
			 Swinfen Hall 31 32 
			 Thorn Cross 19 22 
			 Usk (Frescoed) 8 6 
			 Verne 43 53 
			 Wakefield 14 15 
			 Wandsworth 42 42 
			 Warren Hill 32 35 
			 Wayland 32 33 
			 Wealstun 19 25 
			 Weare 40 — 
			 Wellingborough 32 41 
			 Werrington 23 26 
			 Wetherby 18 16 
			 Whatton 10 14 
			 Whitemoor 28 28 
			 Winchester 12 16 
			 Wolds 13 14 
			 Woodhill 27 31 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 60 57 
			 Wymott 10 8 
			 Total 25 26 
			 (1) Percentages are calculated as proportion of prisoners recorded as BME against total prisoners. (2) Ethnicity is recorded on the basis of voluntary self-declaration

Police

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what role the expected harmonisation of council tax precepts played in the Government's decision not to proceed with police force mergers.

Tony McNulty: The proposed voluntary merger between Cumbria and Lancashire constabularies could not go ahead because it was not possible to resolve all outstanding issues, including harmonisation of the council tax precept, to the satisfaction of the two authorities concerned. They therefore do not wish to proceed with their voluntary merger.
	With regard to other mergers, my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, made it clear on 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1059, that he did not wish to proceed with enforced mergers.

Police

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department how many police officers in  (a) Humberside,  (b) North Yorkshire,  (c) South Yorkshire and  (d) West Yorkshire police authority area were involved in preparation work for the merger of the forces; how many hours of work were devoted to that work; how much the exercise cost; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the police forces and police authorities concerned and the information is not held centrally.

Police

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1046W, on the police, what the  (a) term and  (b) negotiated price over the term is of each contract with the consultants employed by his Department to advise on police force amalgamations.

Tony McNulty: The term of work for consultants employed to work on police force restructuring was15 working days (16 January to 6 February). However, the term of work for some consultants exceeded this due to additional days worked. The negotiated price for the consultants varied from firm to firm and the level and specialism of personal within the firm that was employed.

Police

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police civilian staff each division of Greater Manchester police has had in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The available information is set outin the following table for 2003, 2004 and 2005. Comparable data on police officers and police civilian staff by BCU have only been available since 2003.
	The year on year figures for Greater Manchester basic command units are not comparable because of changes to deployment in respect of Manchester airport and the centralisation of dog handlers in Greater Manchester police in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Deployment to basic command units and other specialist units is an operational matter for the chief constable.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were released on temporary licence from each prison in the London area in each of the last 24 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the annual numberof releases on temporary licence from prison establishments in England and Wales between 1994 and 2004 is published in table 10.6 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004. The data, which are obtained from the prison IT system, are not shown separately by month and establishment because the numbers are small and the accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed.
	Release on temporary licence (ROTL) enables prisoners to participate in precisely defined and specific activities, which cannot be provided in prison, that directly contribute to their resettlement into the community and their development of a purposeful, law-abiding life.
	All prisoners are rigorously risk assessed before release on temporary licence and prisoners are not released if there are concerns for public safety.
	Full details of the eligibility criteria are set out in Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence which is available on the HM Prison Service website.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2006,  Official Report, column 819W, on prisons, what categories of offences had been committed by each of the 33 foreign national prisoners who absconded from Ford Prison in 2006; what the term of the prison sentence was of each; whether the prisoner was  (a) being considered for enforcement proceedings by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate,  (b) going to be deported and  (c) remains at large in each case; and on what date each escaped.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in prison  (a) have mental health problems,  (b) are veterans and  (c) are veterans with mental health problems; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The prevalence of mental health problems among prisoners is considerably higher than for the general population. The most reliable evidence comes from the 1997 ONS study of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners which found that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence (Singleton et al, 1998).
	Data from a Home Office survey of over 2,000 prisoners nearing release found that 5.6 per cent. were veterans of the armed forces (cited in Dandeker et al, 2003). Of these 85 per cent. had been in the Army, four per cent. in the RAF, and 11 per cent. in the Navy. However, there are no estimates available of the proportion of veterans in custody who have mental health problems.
	References:
	Singleton, N., Meltzer, R., Gatward, R. with Coid. J., Deasy, D (1998).
	Psychiatric morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales.
	Office for National Statistics.
	Dandeker, C., Wessely, S., Iverson, A. and Ross, J. (2003).
	Improving the Delivery of Cross Departmental Support and Services for Veterans.
	A joint report of The Department of War Studies and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL). Available on line:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/Reports/ReportsForVeterans/ImprovingTheDeliveryOfCrossDepartmentalSupportAndServicesForVeterans.htm.

Prisons

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for supplying illegal drugs in prisons in the West Midlands in each year since 1998.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Decisions to prosecute are taken bythe Crown Prosecution Service and the number of prosecutions undertaken is not collated by NOMS. The number of visitors arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs and the number of prisoners found guilty at adjudication of offences involving drug smuggling through visits in prisons in the West Midlands is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Visitors arrested  Prisoners found guilty at adjudication of smuggling drugs through visits 
			 1998-99 115 (1)— 
			 1999-2000 118 (1)— 
			 2000-01 76 (1)— 
			 2001-02 90 167 
			 2002-03 49 122 
			 2003-04 67 92 
			 2004-05 48 114 
			 2005-06 44 120 
			 (1) Figures not available.

Prisons

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons have  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary accommodation providing facilities for visitors.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Records held centrally on facilitiesfor visitors do not differentiate between permanentand temporary accommodation. In excess of 130 establishments have access to recognised facilities for visitors. It is recognised that these vary considerably in the amenities and the services which they are able to provide.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of managed moves within the Prison Service for the year from1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 were approved by  (a) the Director of Operations,  (b) the Deputy Director General,  (c) the Director General and  (d) by other officials.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The official who approves a managed move within the Prison Service is not recorded centrally and information could be collected only at disproportionate cost. The level at which such moves are approved is set out in a Prison Service Order (number 8110).

Ticket Touting

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted for ticket touting in each of the last five years; and what the average sentence  (a) given and  (b) served was in each year.

Vernon Coaker: Data for the 2005-06 football seasonare currently being collated and will be published later this year. The following table shows the number of convictions and cautions for ticket touting offences in the previous four seasons. Information on sentences imposed following conviction is not available centrally.
	
		
			  Season  Convictions  Cautions 
			 2001-02 28 21 
			 2002-03 25 18 
			 2003-04 25 7 
			 2004-05 28 7

Visa Charges

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has  (a) to increase visa charges in 2007-08 and  (b) to assess the potential impact of such an increase on the UK's income from tourism.

Kim Howells: Visa application fees are kept under constant review. UKvisas has no plans to increase its fees in the current financial year and will review fees for 2007-08 later in the year. No decisions have been taken on fee levels in 2007-08. UKvisas is mandated by HM Treasury to recoup costs through fees without burdening the UK taxpayer. The Government need to ensure it is charging a fair rate for its services, and that it continues to offer value to those that travel tothe UK.

Vulnerable/At Risk Young People (Custody)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff were employed in the  (a) private and  (b) public sector in the care of vulnerable and at risk children and young adults in custody in each of the last 20 years as a percentage of the custody workforce.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the answerI gave him on 18 July 2006  Official Report, volume 449, Column 411W.

Zahid Mubarek

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he will take to implement the recommendations of the inquiry into the death of Zahid Mubarek.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by the Home Secretaryon the publication of the report on 29 June 2006,  Official Report, column 19WS, to which was attached the Governments initial response to the report. Inthe statement the Government committed itself to providing a full response to the reports 88 recommendations within two months.